


Ragnarock

by AnnieO



Category: G.I. Joe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-11-17
Packaged: 2018-02-25 16:46:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 94,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2629016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieO/pseuds/AnnieO
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world is ruled by Cobra and the Joes fight to survive. Inspired by the episode Worlds Without End</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Devel's Shadow

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_For all we have and are,  
For all our children's fate,  
Stand up and take the war.  
The Hun is at the gate!  
Our world has passed away  
In wantonness o'erthrown.  
There is nothing left to-day  
But steel and fire and stone!  
Tough all we knew depart,  
The old Commandments stand: --  
"In courage keep your heart,  
In strength lift up your hand."  
*From the poem ‘For all we have and are’ By Rudyard Kipling_

_____________ _*_

The small beam of light that dared to break the cloud cover did little to improve the sight before the group standing upon cliff face. Each figure that stood there on that bitter morning did well in hiding the emotions that flowed through them at the devastation that lay within their sight. Not even a blade of grass dared to grow upon the bare ground now. One man stood apart from the group, his sharp eye taking in everything before him, searching for dangers out of habit more than need. His mind slowly turned back to how this world looked before. The green fields, the bright sun-lit days, the smell of a fresh breeze after a spring rain.

Now all that remained where the memories of it all, a small piece that each member held inside themselves. He took a moment to turn and glance at the small group that had accompanied him this morning, his few remaining friends…comrades. The few that he would trust with almost everything, but only one among them that he would trust with his life. His vision locked on her form in the group and he took a moment to absorb the changes that had taken place in her over the years. Her long hair now cut to just above her shoulders, the scar on her face where a knife had sliced her in the last battle when they had lost headquarters and been forced into hiding. The look of exhaustion that seemed to cover all of their faces, no matter how much they rested. And the sadness in her eyes. He remembered how her eyes used to light up with humor and the sound of her laughter would infect everyone around her. Now there was little time for laughter, or anything else, except survival. That was even something they were all growing weary of.

"Conrad?" Scarlett said in a soft voice, "We better head back, the satellite will be overhead in ten minutes."

He took one final glance at the battered landscape before taking her hand in his to head back to the place they called home.

As they walked Scarlett glanced at her husband, trying to gauge his mood. She noted the tension that had been present in his face since they had lost headquarters, causing the deep lines that had never faded completely away to become more pronounced. The eye patch he was forced to wear after the loss of his left eye during that battle, and the ghosts of friends he carried inside of him. Roadblock, Hawk, Falcon, Jinx, Lady Jaye…. her thoughts froze. Lady Jaye, they owed her so much. She had died saving her own four-year old daughter and the couple’s two-year old twins. She had hidden the children and then held off the Cobra’s long enough for Flint and Duke to reach the bunker’s exit and get them out. So many had died that day, so many lost forever. The Joes had managed to hide most of the families before the attack, but some of them still had fallen victim to the brutal raid on that cold winter morning. Even though it had been nearly two years ago, Scarlett continued to hear the screams, smell the blood. A small shiver forced itself up her back as the memories erupted within her.

Duke felt the shiver run up his wife’s back and pulled her into a tighter embrace as they continued toward the camp. "You alright?"

"Fine, just some old memories in my mind today. You know today is Asia’s birthday. Flint said he would like it if we could drop by tonight."

"Sure, I need to go get the reports from the patrols, but I’ll meet you in two hours," Duke replied as they entered the cave system they called home.

She nodded in agreement. "I better go get the girls- I don’t trust Shipwreck not to give them ideas." She gave him a quick kiss and headed deeper into the bowels of the caves.

 _____________ _*_

"We’re running dangerously low on most of the medical supplies and food packs," Flint commented as he gave his report. "We may need to do another supply run sooner then we thought."

"Make of list of what is most vital for now Flint, I’ll make sure the scavengers get it. Any news on the transmissions coming from base?" Duke asked as he turned his attention to Cover Girl.

"None," the once vibrant ex-model spoke in her now gravelly voice. "All we know is that the location is headquarters, but as to who is sending…" She shrugged her shoulders.

Duke nodded. "Get whom ever you need to help you figure this out. I want answers and I want them fast. Last thing we need is for Cobra to tap the locations of ‘ghosts’." He stated, referring to those family members they had managed to hide before the attack. "Anything else to add?" he glanced around at his officers. "No? Dismissed."

He remained seated in the silent room after his officers left. He often used the quiet to gather his thoughts on the situation that he and his people were in. He had never wanted to become more than their commanding officer, and now he found himself thrust into the unwanted role of commander, father figure, and confidant. His own life and dreams put on hold so that they could survive. He wondered now, as he often did, if they should be fighting so hard to save a world that in all appearances did not want to be saved. With a heavy sigh, he pulled himself from his contemplation and wearily reentered the hysteria that had become his life.

 _____________

Shana Hauser quietly entered the small cavern that existed deep within the protective rock-solid walls of the cave system. A place chosen for one purpose… one she hoped that would never be tested. She watched for a moment, smiling to herself at the children playing upon the homespun carpet. Two of the youngest within the room occupied her attention, there was no denying whom their mother was since both had heads topped with stunningly bright red hair and deep sky-blue eyes. They were her one piece of hope that existed in an otherwise unstable world. Her father and youngest brother Sean dead at the hands of Cobra and her remaining brothers, Frank and Brian, in hiding, she had only her daughters and husband to hold her sanity firm in an insane existence.

She smiled as Shipwreck, whom since the loss of his right leg was often found in the nursery, looked up from the story he was reading to some of the older children. Motioning to him that she was going to take the twins off his hands, Scarlett quickly knelt down to scoop up a fast moving flash of red hair. He nodded and resumed his reading. As she reached for her other daughter, she paused when her eyes caught sight of a young dark-haired girl playing off to the side of the room by herself. Her thoughts turned to how much the girl was looking like her mother.

The wiggling child in her arms brought her back. "Mommy… go home now?"

She smiled down at her four year old daughter Kiara. "Yes. You and Audra get your sweaters and say good-bye to Hector."

"Bye Uncle Hector," Both the girls chorused as they took their mother’s hands.

Shipwreck grinned at the girls. "See you tomorrow."

"So what did you girls do today?" She asked as she proceeded down the passageway towards the living quarters.

"Uncle Hector took us to the hypononics today." Audra smiled up at her mother as she stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

"Hydroponics," Scarlett corrected. "Did you enjoy your visit?"

"It was so green Mommy," Kiara’s voice held a hint of wonderment. "Uncle Hector said that outside used to look like that."

"Yes it did, a long time ago. Before the bad men took over."

Audra stopped walking. "Mommy?" She asked, her voice taking on a tone of uncertainty, "Will the bad men come here?"

Scarlett froze in shock at her daughter’s question before kneeling down to eye level with her. "Audra, I promise that the bad men will never hurt you. Your Daddy and I will not let that happen."

"But they hurt Grandpa and Uncle Sean."

"I know, but Daddy and I weren’t there to protect them."

Audra nodded solemnly at her mother’s words and in a sudden movement enveloped her in a tight hug. "Love you Mommy."

Scarlett quickly fought back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. _This_ was why she fought. For the hope that in the future, her daughters, and all children, would be able to see a world without the bad men in it. That maybe…just maybe they might have the chance at a future aside from hiding in these caves. "Alright," she stood and reclaimed the girls’ hands. "Let’s go find your father."

 _____________

Dashiel Fairborne once believed that his dreams had come true. He had met the women he considered his soul mate, married her, and had a beautiful, loving daughter. In his eyes his life was perfect. Then the unthinkable happened, and it all disappeared in one hellish nightmare of a night. Lady Jaye was dead, and his daughter, the one thing he had held more dear than his wife, withdrew from him. What her young eyes had seen in those last terrifying moments before her mother had been cut down she would never reveal. His life had never stopped being that nightmare, and he was trapped within it with no way to escape. Like many others of the survivors, he found himself wondering why they were still fighting, why go on when no one wanted them to win. And every time those thoughts became unbearable, he would sit and watch six-year old Asia sleep and remember that he fought for her.

"Flint?" A voice called out from behind him. "Sorry t’ interrupt, but I have those reports you wanted."

"Thanks Dusty." He said as he accepted the pile of papers. "You and CoverGirl going to come tonight? I know Asia would love to see William and Ezra."

Dusty nodded. "I’ll be sure to bring the boys by if Courtney doesn’t feel like coming. With Kim down with the fever we haven’t been getting much sleep."

"How’s Kim doing, anyway?" Flint asked, laying a hand on his friend’s shoulder in comfort.

"As well as expected." He sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "Lifeline says he thinks she’ll pull through, but…well, you’ve seen how the fever has left people."

All Flint could do was nod as his own thoughts turned towards his daughter. She had survived, which at the time was a miracle, but she had been left with a weakened heart and deaf. His once energetic child couldn’t even walk down the hallway now without running out of breath. However, she was alive, which was more then many of the fever’s first victims could claim. Shana and Conrad had lost their six-month old son Justin to it.

"Give CoverGirl my love and tell her Kim is in my thoughts," Flint said when he finally found his voice.

"Will do and I’ll bring the boys by tonight, I promise." Dusty waved in parting and once again Flint found himself alone within the dark passageway.

 _____________

There were many words to describe the world as it now existed, but privately within his mind Snake Eyes had one: Hell. While he did consider himself lucky to be among those that had survived both the Great Battle and the Fever, he wondered just how much longer his luck would hold out. As a patrol car drove past him upon the otherwise empty city streets, he instantly pulled himself back into the shadows on reflex. He had only another block to go before he would reach the spot at which his contact waited, but with the increased activity of the security patrols, he found himself debating whether to continue on or not. With one last glance onto the again silent street, he moved away from the shadows and onto his rendezvous.

She waited in the nook of an old building on an alleyway, unsure if her contact would appear as promised. The information she now had within her possession could spell the end of the chokehold Cobra had upon the world, but she had paid the price to get the information. Forced to move sooner than anticipated with the recent upgrade of the security within the city due to the unknown attacks upon the capital and the Commander himself, she harbored a fear of discovery bordering on paranoia. She stiffened, her grip tight on her weapon at the sound of someone approaching. She just as quickly relaxed as she recognized the arrival.

"I wasn’t sure if you would come." She remarked in low tones as she stepped from the shadows.

 _"The information is to valuable to lose."_ Snake Eyes signed to the woman. _"Do you have it?"_

"Yes." She handed him a computer disk. "I hope it is what you were looking for. I lost several friends for this."

 _"You have our thanks and we are sorry for your losses."_ He quickly pushed her back into the shadows and flattened himself against the building as another patrol car speed past. _"You are not safe there any longer,"_ He signed.

"I am in no danger yet. Do not worry about me. I am well able to care for myself." She quickly glanced around the corner. "You should go before the next patrol comes."

He nodded once and pocketed disk, _"Remember if you need us…"_

"I know, now go."

She watched the masked man disappear into the starless night, and with a sigh, took a moment to quickly compose herself. Stepping out onto the dark street and glancing around to make certain no one had spotted her visitor, she began to walk. With head held high and a small smile upon her face, the Baroness turned herself towards the place she called home.

 _____________

"Shana?" Duke called into the small, yet functional, area that they called home. They had made the most of what the were able to scrounge and added a few personal touches, from Scarlett’s homespun blankets and rugs to Duke’s hand made furniture. Even the drawings done by the twins decorated the walls. If one wanted to, they might even have been able to forget that it was nothing more than a cave. He smiled to himself as he heard the familiar laughter of his children and with quick steps went to find what mischief they were up to this time. As he surveyed the scene he said, "Well, if it isn’t my three favorite red-headed girls."

Shana glanced up from the reports she was working on while the girls abandoned their drawing to be engulfed by the open arms of their father. "And what have you two been up to today?" He asked as he released the two bundles of energy. Both girls quickly recalled their trip to the gardens, often tripping over each other’s sentences and adding bits to the other’s narrative. With great pride Kiara and Audra showed off the drawing they each had done. Duke admired the newest artistic endeavor that they had undertook and lifting each one in turn, helped them hang the artwork upon the walls before sending them off to their room.

"Any word from Snake Eyes?" Scarlett asked quietly after the girls disappeared into the nook that served as their bedroom.

Duke shook his head in answer as he poured a drink for himself and then her. "He’s not due to check in for another hour or so yet. I won’t start to worry until he misses that. Right now I have to figure out where we are going to get extra food and medical supplies." He handed her the drink and wearily sank himself into one of the few chairs in the room. "We’re running low on just about everything, including fresh water."

"Do we need to go back to rationing?" Scarlett wondered as she stood and moved behind him to massage the tension from his shoulders.

"Hmmm…" he smiled slightly as he settled back into his wife’s arms. "Not the drinking water, but bathing and other uses are back to once a week until we get things restocked. How was the rest of your day?" He asked, pulling her down onto his lap.

She sighed and for a moment fell silent. "Three more are down with the fever and Kimberly Rudat took a turn for the worst today."

"How’s CoverGirl and Dusty handling it?"

"As well as any of us do. CoverGirl is calmer then I was with Justin." She again fell silent.

Duke tightened his embrace, "I know. I miss him too."

"All this almost makes me wish I had stayed retired." Shana sighed as she pulled out of her husband’s arms. "We better go. I promised Flint we’d bring the girls by." She gave him one last smile before going off to get the twins.

 _____________

Asia Fairborne had little memory of what the world was like before it fell silent to her. She vaguely remembered faces, voices, and sights that no longer existed in her day-to-day life. The names of most of those faces had faded long ago along with the feelings she may have once had for them. The loss of her mother shattered everything in her young life, and she retreated deep within herself. She did what she was told to help, until she got sick. She found her world further turned upside down after the fever left her body. Once able to dash up and down the passageways without losing her breath, now she could barely walk from her room to the living area without having to stop and rest.

She glanced at herself in the small looking glass her father had found and hung in her room. She had inherited the best mix of her mother and father’s features. Although she was small for her age of seven years, her dark eyes held a maturity that no child should have. Her long brown hair pulled back in a simple braid was tied with a white ribbon that had fallen across one of her shoulders. Her clothing, a simple dark green dress, was tattered but clean. She glanced over at the one photo of her mother that she possessed and with a longing that would never go away, wished that she were there if only to say happy birthday to her. With a finial twirl of her skirts, she made her way into the small common room and smiled as she caught sight of her father.

 _____________

Slowly the vehicle made its way through the darkened streets, the woman at the controls glancing nervously about at the shadows that seemed to claim every nook and cranny that existed in the city. She felt a twinge of guilt at having a part in causing this nightmare to happen, and it wasn’t the first time. She had believed in the words that Cobra Commander had spoken and followed his orders without question. In the beginning things did seem better, but the illusion quickly faded as the truth burned through the lies. She began to see the wrong in what they had done, and with the help of someone very dear to her, she had quietly started her own private war against her superiors. She turned her car down into the area that had once been home to the elite of Washington DC, only now the hierarchy of Cobra claimed the fine homes.

She pulled her car into one of the driveways at the end of the block, and noticed that the house windows were dark. Odd, she thought to herself, Sarah should still be here. She reached into her bag and pulled out her pistol, checking the safety. Cautiously, she entered the house. Nothing seemed out of place, aside from the absence of her assistant and the empty feeling of the rooms. A flash of light reflecting in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and froze.

"You," Her eyes narrowed in anger as she recognized her unwelcomed guest as he stepped from the shadows.

"Baroness." He bowed his head slightly. "Or shall I call you Alexa?" He hid a smile behind a brandy filled crystal glass. "No need for any weapons." He motioned to the pistol still clutched in her hand.

Anger surged like a tidal wave at the use of her true name, and she did not relax her guard. "What do you want?" She demanded.

"My dear Alexa, it was not long ago that you would have welcomed me into your home." He leaned forward, his silver mask flashing in the slight lamplight from outside. "Strange how fast the fire dims, is it not?" He raised an eyebrow as he again looked at the gun.

"I am not in the mood for your games, say what you came to or leave." She reluctantly lowered the pistol and placed it on the table in front of her.

He took another sip from the crystal glass. "You always were outspoken." He reached over to his left and grabbed the brandy flask and refilled his glass before speaking again. "It seems, my dear, that our beloved leader is beginning to fail in controlling the latest terrorist insurrections."

She snorted. "As head of security, the failing is yours. You seem unable to even locate the traitors among our own people."

"I wouldn’t say that."

He smiled, a smile she knew all to well. She felt her mouth go dry and her heart pound painfully in her chest for a moment before she was able to regain control. "You’ve found something?"

He watched the cascade of emotions erupt in the eyes of the women before him. If he had not known what to watch for, he would have thought her unaffected by his words, for her face remained the stone mask it had always been. "It has come to my attention that someone with in the very hierarchy of Cobra itself has been involved with the remains of the Joe forces." He took another sip nonchalantly.

"I find that hard to believe. We are all loyal to the Commander, as you well know, James."

"Allow me to finish, my dear Alexandra." He leaned back in the chair, disappearing into the shadows for a moment. "Yes we are all loyal to the Commander, or so it would seem on the outside. Day by day our control slips and we lose more power. I for one am tired of the weakness that has…" he paused, as if searching for the correct word. "-Slithered its way to the top."

She stared at the man in shock. "Are you suggesting that something be done?"

"Of course not, that would be treason. But if something should _accidentally_ happen to our beloved leader there is little we could do."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"

He laughed, "Because my dear, we all have our secrets and perhaps I know one of yours." He reached over to the small table and tapped a file lying on it with a finger. "It seems that you disappeared for quite sometime three years ago."

"A family emergency, as I told the Commander before I left." She moved back and leaned against a cabinet, her hands shaking as she fumbled at the drawer behind her back. Finally she slid it soundlessly open.

"Ahhh yes, your Mother was it?"

She nodded.

"But a year seems to be quite a long time for an emergency, my dear."

She felt her fingertips touch the cold metal of the small handgun she kept hidden in the drawer. "What business is it of yours if I took an extended leave to care for my dying mother?" A hard edge had seeped into her tone. "What does this have to do with Cobra?"

He picked up the file and stood, still gripping the crystal glass in his hand. "Nothing and everything." He answered simply as he walked towards her. "I only have one more thing to say and I shall leave you."

"Then say it and get out of my home." Her fingers wrapped around the handle and clicked the safety off.

"When the Commander falls, and he _will_ fall, you will swear your allegiance to me, or I shall reveal the one secret you have."

"You dare to threaten me?"

He smiled. "As you well know Alexandra Marie Koenigsburg-Navarre, I do not make threats." He placed the file on the table in front of her before turning to leave. "Good evening to you."

She stood for a moment after he left, just to make certain he had truly departed her home. After several minutes of deafening silence she replaced her backup gun and picked up the file. What she saw made her blood run cold and chased the breath from her lungs.

 _He knows!_ Her mind screamed.

 _____________

"Now, perhaps you could tell me," The three men stood at server attention and watched as Cobra Commander came around the desk, his voice and posture doing little to reveal his mood. "How did someone manage to smuggle out classified information from a computer system that is supposed to be impossible to access without the codes!?" His voice rose with each word.

"We’re looking into that Sir." One of the technicians answered, his voice slightly shaky. "But all our attempts at locating the infiltrator have failed."

"Failed?" The Commander turned to face the one who spoke. "Failed?"

The suddenness of the gunshot caused the men to jump. The one to last speak took a step back and clutched at his chest. As he pulled away his hand, he look dumbfounded to see it covered with blood. With a strangled gurgle, he dropped to the floor.

"Y-yes Commander, we have tried…" One stammered as he and the remaining technicians watched the man’s body fall lifeless to the floor.

"I would suggest," the Commander stated calmly with a deadly overtone as glared at each technician in turn. "That the rest of you try harder. Dismissed!" He holstered his pistol and the technicians scrambled from his office.

"A waste of a good worker Commander, " the baroness said as she absently kicked the body and motioned to the guards to remove it. "And you just replaced your carpet too."

"I want the traitor Baroness, not excuses." He flung a report file at her. "I want each of those people brought in and questioned."

She caught it and glanced quickly at the list. "It will take some time to locate them, Commander."

"You have forty-eight hours." He turned his back to her. "Now get out."

She quickly exited the office and made her way down the halls past the security checkpoints. Once inside her own office she called for her assistant. "Sarah, would you bring me file A-4 and then contact Zartan and tell him I have a little job for him."

 _____________

"It’s no good Clutch," Grunt exclaimed in frustration as he flung a wrench across the motor pool. "We don’t have the parts to get this stuff up and running, let alone combat ready."

Clutch looked up from the VAMP he was working on. "I know, but we need transportation of some kind t’ get the hell out of Dodge and find the survivors."

"And what makes you think any of them are alive? You saw the files."

"Yeah, but whose t’ say they didn’t fake the files t’ stay hidden or somethin’…" he paused. "Did you hear something?"

"Yeah." Both men reached over and grabbed their ever-present weapons and quietly made their way outside the motor pool. "It’s quiet now." Grunt observed. "Too quiet."

"Lets head back to the Command Center and-"

"Drop your weapons."

Both men froze, then slowly bent down to place their guns on the ground in front of them.

"Now, turn ‘round, no sudden moves."

Slowly, they turned, only to stare in shock at who was behind the rifles pointed in their direction.

"There just _kids_ ," Clutch whispered.

"No talkin’," a familiar voice called from the shadows. "Now pards, I suggest ya tell me who you are an’ what the hell y’all are doin’ here."

To Be Continued


	2. Heaven and Hell

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_Once more we hear the word  
That sickened earth of old:  
"No law except the sword  
Unsheathed and uncontrolled,"  
Once more it knits mankind,  
Once more the nations go  
To meet and break and bind  
A crazed and driven foe.  
Comfort, content, delight --  
The ages' slow-bought gain --  
They shrivelled in a night,  
Only ourselves remain  
To face the naked days  
In silent fortitude,  
Through perils and dismays  
Renewd and re-renewed.  
*From the poem, For all we have and are’ By Rudyard Kipling _

* * * * * * * * 

Silence…

Deafening, encompassing everything around it within its iron grip. Once, long ago, a person would have heard the songs of both bird and insect among stands of large trees, but now, nothing. It was as if even nature herself had abandoned all hope for a future. Few traveled the dead lands, they were said to be cursed… men were known to have disappeared into them and never returned. Lt. Michael Long laughed at these stories. He had little need of the tales told among the civilians or the troops. He had one mission: To follow orders and complete his mission. It was to this silent, lifeless wasteland that orders brought him and his men. Endlessly they marched, the hot summer sun’s rays beating down and reflecting off the ground as a wind turned up the thick red dust that seemed to cling to everything.

“Sir,” The point man saluted sharply as he jogged up to the Lieutenant. “There’s some movement up ahead.”

“Take one other and find out what it is.” Michael ordered before motioning for his radio officer to step forward. “Smith, O’Mally, and Quinn, set up a perimeter. I don’t want anything sneaking up on us.”

“Sir.” One of the men motioned for his attention and pointed to the hilltop above them. “I thought all the wildlife out here had been killed?”

“Apparently not,” Michael said as he brought his binoculars to bear on the figure sitting above them. “Just a lone wolf, nothing to worr-“

The single shot sliced through the air and ripped into the man that had pointed to the wolf, throwing him to the ground. “Sniper! Take cover!” Michael screamed as he dived behind a low boulder. But before the words were out of his mouth, two more shoots rang out in rapid succession, striking down two other men with deadly accuracy as they tried to find cover behind the sparse rocks.

“Sir!” Quinn shouted from his position. “North face!” He motioned with a scraped and bloody hand to the glint of light that reflected in the setting sun.

Michael nodded curtly. “Take O’Mally with you. I’ll cover. Go!” He flipped himself on his belly and set his rifle on the rock to sight on the cliff face. He fired randomly, intent to keeping the sniper pinned long enough for his men to get around. Smith had been dead before he hit the ground. The sound of another man crying out in agony fell off to whimpers and then silence.

“Dad. Two coming from the southwest.”

Low-Light turned from his perch behind a crop of rocks he had built up for a screen and glanced at his son. He was in a similar position off to Low-Light’s right in a small crevice, facing the trail that led to the vantage point. The Joe tugged on the string that jiggled a small mirror far to his left and down the slope to flash the sunlight in the decoy position. He smiled grimly as he was rewarded with gunfire ricocheting off the cliff face. “Don’t worry, Shane. Snake Eyes will handle the two easy enough. You see any more slitherin’ down there?”

The boy squinted into the sight on his sniper rifle. “One, far as I can see. Looks like the one who was leading. Six to start, two coming up from below, that’s four, three dead, and one alive. Six.” He recited.

Low-Light nodded. He had one kill, and his son had two. He hated the fact that his boy had to learn about killing at such a young age. But at thirteen, he was no longer a boy, and he hadn’t been since he was nine and he was forced to kill a man to protect his mother. What scared Low-Light was that his son was as good a shot as him, but did it with more lethal efficiency that didn’t faze him in the least. “Position of scouters?” he asked.

“Just coming up on Snake Eyes post. Almost there…” Shane paused, the grinned. “Two more Cobras gone to hell.”

“Shane!” Low-Light said sharply.

His son looked away from his hard glare, reddening in the face. “Snake Eyes is signaling,” he said contritely.

“Okay. Stage two. And we take him alive.”

“I know, I know.” The boy wiggled back from the cliff face, well out of the line of fire. Low-Light did the same, tying the string to a scrub brush that was moving just enough in the breeze to trigger the dupe. The pair slung their rifles over their shoulders and made their way down the trail to join up with Snake-Eyes. Shane looked at the two men rendered lifeless with a snap of the neck. “Cool. You have gotta teach me how to do that,” he exclaimed to the silent Joe.

Low-Light pressed his lips together into a thin line, but said nothing. Snake-Eyes replaced his knife into its sheath and motioned towards the remaining Cobra, indicating for Shane to remain and give cover if needed. The boy’s blue eyes narrowed slightly and he looked as if he was going to argue before he nodded and settled into the alcove Snake-Eyes had just vacated.

“Five minutes,” Low-Light ordered, “Any longer and you head for camp.” He waited until Shane nodded affirmative before following Snake-Eyes.

Michael nervously searched the open cliff face, his men had been gone too long and it was too quiet. His eyes darted around, attempting to find any sign of the sniper. All he could see in the other wise empty surroundings was the lone wolf that still stood statue like on the rocks above. He slowly raised his head above what little cover the rock was offering him, and just as quickly pulled it back down as a shot spit dirt and rock chips at him from the ground in front of him. “They’re holding me here. But why?” He asked himself as he checked his ammo. He didn’t have long before he found out.

Snake-Eyes silently made his way across the small valley the cliff face had created, using the shadows of the now setting sun for cover. His sharp eyes had already spotted his quarry behind the stone pile and Low-Light’s position not far from his own. He moved with a natural grace that defined the type of warrior he was and told of the predator that existed within. He waited until the Cobra had turned to again observe his surroundings, and struck.

“I gotta get out of this.” Michael thought as he again glanced around and spotted a second pile of rocks that would give him sufficient shelter from the sniper’s fire. “Okay, got one chance at this,” he muttered to himself as he tensed his muscles to make the dash. He had no warning of the shadow that dropped down upon him, throwing him flat to the ground and kicking his weapon out of reach in one quick motion. He instinctively moved to jump up, and found the barrel of a sniper rifle aiming between his eyes.

“One move and you won’t know what hit ya.” Low-light snarled, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

Michael looked up to the voice. “Do you know who I am?!” He demanded as he was roughly flipped over and felt his hands being tied. His eyes were covered with a blindfold. He fought to keep his balance as he was pulled to his feet. “I’m a Cobra…”

The sniper laughed, low and gravelly. “I don’t give a damn who or what you are. All I care about it what you know.”

* * * * * * * * * 

“I said, keep ‘em up.” One of their captures motioned with their gun.

“Take it easy, kid,” Clutch reasoned as he raised his hands higher. “We ain’t the enemy.”

The kid snickered, “Yeah and Cobra Commander’s a Saint. Y’all got any other friends ‘round here?” he asked, his eyes roving around the open tarmac.

Clutch and Grunt both saw the opening at the same moment and with a silent signal both moved. With reflexes honed from years of combat Clutch darted and tackled his captor. “Now, let’s see wha’ we got here.” He reached and yanked off the combat helmet, and stopped short, staring at what he found.

“Get off me!” The struggling kid demanded from beneath his greater weight.

He found himself staring into the dark brown eyes of a girl, who couldn’t be a day over fourteen. The long brown hair had been piled under her helmet now cascaded around her face. “You’re a…”

“Best do what she said, Pard.” Clutch froze when he felt the cold steel of a revolver against his ear. “Ya got two seconds to get offa her.” Slowly Clutch raised his hands and stood, releasing the girl.

“Now turn ‘round.”

“Look, I don’t know who you people are but we ain’t-- Bill?!” Clutch stopped halfway through his turn when he recognized the man now holding him at gunpoint. Yes, the man looked older, his brown hair now speckled with gray and his mustache gone, but there was no doubt in Clutch’s mind that the man before him was Wild Bill. His eyes quickly darted around the tarmac and found Grunt in the same predicament as himself, except another kid held a gun on the other Joe.

Wild Bill’s eyes widened for the briefest of moments, then he quickly shunted the surprise of seeing a ghost before him. Concentrating on the girl who was getting back to her feet, he called, “Cammy? Jeb? Ya a’right?”

“Yeah,” The boy Grunt had taken down muttered as he got to his feet, accepting his weapon from his older brother.

“Yeah, jus’ bruised a little.” She retrieved her rifle and came to stand beside Bill. “How does he know who ya are, daddy?”

“Why don’t we find out?” He indicated the boy covering Grunt with a jerk of his head. “Dustin, go and check the control room, make sure there ain’t any others sneakin' about.” The boy, whom Clutch thought looked like a younger version of Bill, nodded and took off at a quick lope. “Now, I seem to remember askin' ya a question. Who are ya and what are ya doin’ here?”

Grunt sighed “Look, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth.”

“Try me.”

“Daddy,” The girl said as she reached up to her ear, where Clutch noticed the earpiece for the first time. “Cobra patrol heading our way.”

He nodded, “Inside,” he motioned with his gun. “I know just the place we can sit a spell and have a nice chat.”

* * * * * * * * 

To any who passed it, it was like any other building that lined to dark, barren streets. Its walls scarred, windows cracked and broken, its foundation crumbling. For Sarah-Ann McCorben it was home, one of many that she had claimed over the years. She pulled open the door and entered the dank interior, grabbing the small flashlight kept by it before moving on through the hallways and down to the lower levels. She passed the others that claimed the dim interiors as shelter, nodding at those she knew and noting those she didn’t. She moved until she came to a door at the end of the passage, one no different from the others that lined it. Glancing over her shoulder, more out of habit than need, she pulled the door open and slid inside, securing it behind her. Once inside she leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes, letting a slow breath out.

“That bad?” The voice said from the shadows.

Sarah jumped slightly, but just as quickly relaxed as she recognized the voice. “One of these days your gonna give me a heart attack.” She chided the voice, her thick southern accent heavy with fatigue.

The voice laughed lightly. “And have that husband of yours kill me? I don’t think so Sarah.”

Sarah smiled to herself despite the pang of longing for her husband. “What can I do for you Daniel?”

Daniel LeClair stepped from the shadows. “We need some supplies.” He held a list out to her and she took it. “Mostly the usual stuff.”

She glanced over the list, nodding to herself as she did. “How soon?” She asked without taking her eyes off it.

“Duke wants a pick up in the next few days. The medical supplies are priority. Those, if nothing else.”

She jotted down a few notes on the paper, before moving and placing it in a box hidden behind a loose stone. “It will be in the usual spot in three days.” She turned back to him. “How are they?”

He moved forward and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “They’re all fine Sarah. The kids miss you.”

She sighed. “Can you give them something for me?” She reached back into the hiding hole and pulled out a package. “It’s a late Christmas present.”

He took the package, “I’ll make sure they get it.”

“And tell them I miss them too.”

He nodded and smiled again before turning back to the shadows. “They already know that.”

She found herself alone again in the small cramped room. Once more, she reached into the hidey-hole and pulled out an old photo. Lovingly, she ran her fingers over the glass that covered it, her eyes misting slightly as she did so. It’ll be over one day, and I’ll come home, she told herself as she replaced the photo and placed the stone firmly back into its spot. Then Sarah-Ann McCorben, the woman once known as Dallas, left the dark, lonely room.

* * * * * * * 

“Thanks for coming Duke,” Flint said as he shook the man’s hand as he and Shana entered with the twins. “Asia was hoping you’d bring the girls.”

Shana smiled, “We wouldn’t have missed it for anything Dash. It’s nice to have something to think about aside from what supplies are low and who to send on patrol.”

“Go play Mommy?” Audra asked as she glanced over and saw Asia already playing with several other children.

“Go ahead, just don’t get into to much trouble.” Both girls nodded and as one turned and sprinted over to the group of children playing in one of the corners. “How is she doing Dash?”

Flint’s smile faded quickly from his face. “Doc says she’s getting worse. He doesn’t think she’ll make it another two years without better medical care.” He glanced over at the dark haired girl quietly playing with some of the other children.

Shana gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Flint, if you ever need anything...”

“Yeah I know.” He smiled at her to take the sting out of his words. “Thanks.”

“Duke!” Mainframe called as he came running around the corner. “We gotta problem.”

* * * * * * * * * 

_Shit!_ Clair Abernathy cursed silently as she and her partner quickly pulled themselves into the shadows. “What the hell are the Dreadnocks snooping around here for?” She asked in a low voice to the man standing next to her.

“Whatever the reason it ain’t good.” The man’s dark eyes quickly glanced about, checking the shadows around them. “And if there here Zartan ain't far behind.”

“We need to get out of here Mark.”

“No way both of us will make it, and it looks like they already picked up Galvin.” He motioned to the teenager struggling in Buzzer and Thrasher’s grip. “I’ll draw them off and try to get Gav out. You go and contact base.”

Clair’s green eyes narrowed slightly and she looked for a moment as if she was going to refuse. After a moment she said, “I’ll be back, I promise.” She quickly squeezed his hand before turning and fading into the shadows.

Marcus Armbuster watched his partner as she slowly disappeared before turning back to the Cobras. He watched as Ripper and Torch tore gleefully through the small shack his team had called home, and silently prayed they didn’t find the entrance to the cellar. If they did, he and his team were as good as dead. There are days I wished I never volunteered for this. He thought as he slowly moved, always keeping to the shadows. But after what those bastards did to you Brad…He froze suddenly in both thought and motion when a slight movement caught his peripheral vision. Shit...Zartan!

“Well, well what have we here?” the Cobra sneered as he literally emerged from the wall of the building, his pistol pointed directly at Mark’s chest. “A little stray.” He motioned towards the shake with his gun. “Let’s join your friend shall we?”

“Ain’t nothin’ here Zartan.” Ripper whined in disappointment as the other man entered the clearing. “Jus’ a bunch of huntin’ supplies.”

During the exchange between the two Dreadknocks, Mark locked eyes with Galvin’s and a silent message passed between the two. They knew what would happen if Cobra managed to find the cellar or even break one of them to gather information. The lives of those they protected were more important then their own. Galvin calmly nodded his agreement and Mark knew that neither of them would live to see the sun rise.

Zartan turned back to his prisoners. “We know you’re hiding something, and it’s only a matter of time until I find out what it is.” He calmly picked a heavy metal pipe the length of a man’s forearm off the ground and began pacing. “Now we can do this the easy way,” he paused in front of Galvin and without warning, struck the boy forcefully in the neck with the pipe. “Or the hard way.” He smiled as Galvin slumped and gasped for breath, hanging in Buzzer and Thrasher’s grip.

The two Dreadknocks grinned at each other and chuckled. “Hit ‘im again, Zartan!” Buzzer called.

“Leave him alone!” Mark tried to leap forward, but found himself being held. Straining against the troopers that were holding him, he spat, “Is that all you can do is pick on a kid?!”

Zartan turned, “Oh, you’ll get yours soon enough.” He jerked Galvin’s head up by his hair, causing the boy to gasp in pain. “There were three of you. Where’s your other friend?”

“Go to hell.” Galvin ground out.

“Wrong answer.” Zartan struck Galvin across his knee. The boy fell forward, screaming in pain as his knee shattered. The only thing that kept him from collapsing completely to the dirt was the hold of his detainers. “I’m sorry, did that hurt?”

“Fuck you.” Galvin managed to gasp between his clenched teeth.

“Your friend doesn’t appear to want to talk,” Zartan baited as he walked over and stood in front of Mark. “Perhaps you will be more cooperative.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Oh you don’t, do you?” The man turned and calmly aimed his gun. Galvin didn’t even have the chance to scream before the bullet tore through his other knee.

Mark fought violently against the men holding him. “You fuckin’ bastard! He’s just a kid!”

Zartan smiled cruelly. “And if you want him to see his next birthday I suggest you tell me where your other team member is.”

Mark’s brown eyes quickly met Galvin’s blue, filled with agony and despite his efforts, tears. The younger man barely nodded, and closed his eyes to accept the inevitable. Forgive me! Mark’s mind screamed. “Go to hell!”

Zartan shrugged and turned to Galvin. “Kill him.”

Mark winced and squeezed his eyes shut as two shots pierced the night.

Buzzer and Thrasher simultaneously released their grip, stepping away to allow the body to fall lifeless to the earth. “Take that one back to headquarters and burn the shack.” He kicked Galvin as a final insult. “Leave this one to feed the vultures.”

* * * * * * * * * 

_Smoke?_ Clair felt a shiver run down her spine as she as approached what was left of the shack she and her team had called home. It was embers now, not even enough wood left to continue to fuel a full flame . As the form of a body pulled her focus, she stopped, paralyzed. “Oh no…” she whispered, her voice increasing in volume as she ran towards it. “No…no…oh God, Galvin!” Ignoring the blood that still soaked the ground around her, she fell to her knees and cradled the young man’s head in her lap, streaming tears leaving trails down her dust cover cheeks. Nothing moved…nothing stirred…as if the world itself was again holding its breath against the coming storm.

Silence…


	3. Ember Light & Tears Unshed

[ ](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_Hear now the Song of the Dead -- in the North by the torn berg-edges --  
They that look still to the Pole, asleep by their hide-stripped sledges.  
Song of the Dead in the South -- in the sun by their skeleton horses,  
Where the warrigal whimpers and bays through the dust  
of the sear river-courses._

_Song of the Dead in the East -- in the heat-rotted jungle hollows,  
Where the dog-ape barks in the kloof --  
in the brake of the buffalo-wallows.  
Song of the Dead in the West --  
in the Barrens, the waste that betrayed them,  
Where the wolverene tumbles their packs  
from the camp and the grave-mound they made them;  
Hear now the Song of the Dead!  
“The Song of the Dead” By: Kipling _

* * * * * * * * 

Fear. It was a familiar feeling that surrounded all those living in the darkness of the world. Few remembered what it was like before, even fewer wanted to dwell on those memories. And yet some embraced the thoughts and feelings of the past, as if clinging to it would erase the hell that now existed. Clair Abernathy now clung to one of those precious memories as a light drizzle slowly soaked her to the bone as she trudged through the shadows. Her blond hair, now dark with grime from the fire, plastered itself to her wet head. Her clothes and face were covered in the blood from Galvin’s body, mixed with the mud of the ground.

 _He’s dead,_ she had repeated to herself many times before her mind accepted the truth and she had been able to abandon the young man that had been like a brother to her. _Mark needs my help now._ Now it was into the shadows, clinging to them like a lifeline, as she moved through the city. She headed for the one safe place she knew, and the one person that could get the information she needed.

* * * * * * * * * 

“This had better be good Destro.” The Baroness’s voice echoed off the cold, damp stone walls of the prison. “I was in the middle of a three-course meal when you called me.”

The man in the mask smiled coldly. “I think you will find this quite worthy of your attention, my dear.” He turned down one of the many corridors and stopped in front of one of the many cells that lined the walls. “Zartan picked up this prisoner last night in a raid on a known resistance hide out. Sadly, one of his partners was killed during the raid and the other is still at large, but we hope to have her soon.”

“And my interest in this would be...?”

“Why, my dear,” Destro cooed as he motioned to the guards to open the door and remove the prisoner. “I thought you would enjoy a little entertainment this evening.”

* * * * * * * * * 

The damp chill of the small cell seemed to eat through the thin coveralls Mark had been forced to wear when he had arrived at detention. His entire body, bruised and swollen, ached deeply and he could feel the effects of the drugs given to him earlier taking hold. He forced his weary mind to focus on something besides the dreary surroundings and screams that assaulted his senses. One image burned in his mind’s eye, Galvin, lifeless, as he clutched the boy to him. Mark quickly forced his mind away from the grim memory.

 _Clair…_ he struggled to focus his thoughts on her face. He drew strength on the memories of when she used to smile and laugh, how her green eyes would sparkle in the starlight, the soft touch of her lips against his. He shuddered violently at the thought of her in the hands of Zartan and his Dreadnoks. Had she made it past them? Was she safe? _She’s safe!_ He angrily told himself. ‘ _Cause I_ _can’t see her any other way than alive._ His thoughts froze suddenly as the sound of a voice trickled through his drug-hazed mind.

“I thought you would enjoy a little entertainment this evening.”

 _Destro!_ His mind screamed. He could hear the grating of the rusted lock as the guard turned the key and swung open the door to his cell. He tried to move, to rush the guards, to do anything, but his body refused to respond. Too weakened from the drug and dehydration, he could do nothing more than groan as the guards pulled him to his feet.

“He doesn’t look as if he will give you any trouble Destro.”

 _I know that voice…but from where?_ His mind struggled to comprehend. He felt fingers on his chin and when his eyes focused he found himself staring into the face of the one person who could save him.

 _Oh God, Mark…_ The Baroness watched impassively as they hauled the prisoner forward, and forced herself to remain so when she recognized the man they held standing before her. “He looks too far gone to be much good, Destro.” She gently placed her fingers under his chin and raised his face to hers. “Perhaps a bad reaction to the drug?”

Destro watched the scene with interest. “No my dear, he is still of use to us.” He pulled her back from the prisoner. “Besides I feel the need for some “exercise” tonight.”

Mark’s brown eyes meet the dark eyes of The Baroness, and he knew.

_See you soon Big Brother. I’m so sorry Clair…_

* * * * * * * * 

“How the hell did this happen!” Duke’s fist slammed hard onto the table, sending several cups jumping and spilling the dark liquid in them. His blue eye caught the face of the others sitting around the table. “I want answers and I want them now!”

“Duke,” Blaine stood as he spoke. “We don’t know _how_ they found the teams only that they _did…_ ”

Duke’s voice was low and had the tone of barely controlled anger. “We lost four teams, Mainframe, that’s 12 people…12 _more_ people!”

Scarlett came up behind her husband and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. “What do we know Blaine?” Her voice was oddly calm and empty of emotion.

Mainframe shuffled his feet for a moment then sat again. Moving his files around in front of him before speaking, he finally replied, “We know that not all the teams were wiped out. Team 3 had two survivors, Clair is still out there and Mark is in custody.”

Cover Girl snorted, “and you call that alive?”

“Let him finish Courtney.” Shana calmly smiled at her teammate. “Go on Blaine.”

“The other teams I just don’t know who survived, only a few did. Clair’s been the only one to report in, and even she’s on the move again.”

“And the tunnels?” Dusty asked

Mainframe shrugged, “From what I can tell, Cobra hasn’t found them, info has been sketchy. But if they had we wouldn’t be sitting here talking right now.”

Duke sighed and rubbed a hand across his tired face. “Thanks Blaine. Courtney,” he turned his attention to the woman. “Who do we have out in that area right now?”

The ex-super model quickly consulted her notes. “Low-Light, Shane, and Snake-Eyes are in the bad lands. In the city we have Bill and his team, Recondo, unless he is heading back by now, and Sarah.”

“Mac’s team is out,” Duke said, after thinking for a moment. “I need them there to relay supplies when they arrive, and they’re hauling in a prisoner. Recondo is due to have already left with what supplies he could get. Sarah is to valuable to blow her cover.” He sighed. “Looks like the Wild Cards are going to get first shot at this.” He turned to Dusty. “Contact Camille give her the low down and orders. They are to observe only, not engage.” Duke locked his gaze on to each sitting before him. “I don’t need to remind you what’s at stake here, and how many lives depend on finding out what Cobra knows.” He ran a hand quickly through his hair and glanced down at the table before speaking again. His voice was soft…his eyes tired, as he made a reluctant decision. “Dusty…inform Bill and his team that this is a code Delta mission.”

Heads snapped up with looks of shock, the silence hanging heavy in the air. It was several minutes before the silence was broken.

“Yes Sir.” Dusty answered, more out of habit after recovering from the announcement. “Code Delta.” He added quietly.

Duke nodded heavily. “Dismissed.”

He watched as they filed out of the room one by one, slowly sinking back into the chair behind him as he did so. His wife was one of the last to leave. “Shana…”his voice stopped her at the door.

She turned and startled at the look defeat upon her husbands face. “You have no choice Conrad.” She whispered softly, though her voice seemed to echo on stone walls of the room. “To many lives…”She moved back to his side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Lives?” Duke looked up sharply. “Lives?! How many more do we have to sacrifice before it’s to many? How many more graves do I have to dig?” He shoved her hand away. “How much more blood will be on _my_ hands before this ends?!”

Shana stood silent.

Duke stood, inadvertently knocking his chair over. Moving towards the door, he muttered, “What’s the use of fighting when the world don’t give a damn?” He stopped, and turned to watch his wife for a moment. “You don’t know either do you?”

She shook her head.

Duke sighed, “I’ll see that the teams families are notified.” Silently to himself he said, “What’s left of them that is.” He moved to leave again.

“Duke…” His wife’s voice stopped his forward motion. “I’ll see to it.”

He nodded wearily without a backwards glance and left the room.

Slowly Shana sank into a nearby chair, tears running down her cheeks.

* * * * * * * * 

Flint’s eyes roved around the cave as Ed continued his exam on Asia. The cave was small…almost too small for the purpose it served as both hospital and home to some of the residents that worked there. It was sparsely furnished, with near empty shelves scattered with archaic equipment and out-of-date medicine. Torn and faded medical charts decorated the walls. However, it was the low, desperate moans of the patients that made it a depressing place to visit. Too many people Flint knew had come into this cave and never left it again. He couldn’t blame Ed and his team, they did the best with what they had, and even managed to pull off the miracle or two. Asia was one of those miracles.

“Ok, one more poke and you’re done for this week.” Ed smiled at the girl who sat far to still and silent before him as he drew blood. “There.” He gently ruffled her hair as he stood and placed the sample on the table next to him. “You, Miss Asia, are done.” He reached into a small drawer and pulled out a small candy from his precious supply. “And this is for you.”

Without a giggle, or even a smile, as most of the other children would do, she reached out and took the small candy and placed it in her shirt pocket. Ed sighed and gently lifted her off the table and set her on her feet, then handed her the small pair of canes she used when walking long distances.

“Why don’t you go and have a seat outside Asia. I need to speak to your Dad for a minute.”

Asia’s dark eyes glanced to her father, who in turn nodded and smiled at her. “Go on mouse, I’ll be there in a minute.” He watched as she slowly moved out the tattered curtain in the doorway and into the small alcove Ed called a waiting room before turning back to the medic. “So?”

Ed leaned against the small table Asia had so recently been seated on and took a deep breath before speaking. “She’s getting weaker Dash…”

“Tell me something I don’t already know!” Flint snapped before he could stop himself. “Why?”

“I can’t be certain what’s causing it without better equipment.” Ed’s eyes flicked to the bare shelves behind Flint. “And even if I did know…I might not be able to treat her.”

“How long Ed?” Flint’s words seemed to hang in the air.

Ed ran a hand through his dark hair, “Honestly I don’t know, but I wouldn’t give her more than a year without better treatment.”

Flint’s reaction was not what Ed expected: a curt nod, a small frown. Nothing more. “Thanks, Ed.”

“I’m sorry Dash…”

“Lifeline!” The curtain that lead to the sickroom was jerked aside as Ed’s head nurse, Ella Forrest, came rushing in. “It’s Kimberly Rudat! I’ve lost a pulse!”

Ed spun around and quickly followed the woman back to the small bed where the young girl had been for several days. “What happened?” He asked as he swiftly examined the two-year-old and began chest compressions.

“She just closed her eyes…”Courtney whispered as she stood watching.

“Ella?”

The woman shook her head after listening with her stethoscope for a moment. “Nothing.” She choked out.

“Ed.” Courtney’s gentle hands stopped the man’s rhythmic compressions. “Please, just let her go.”

“Courtney…”

“Please Ed,” she said quietly as she tenderly brushed a strand of brown hair from her daughters pale forehead. Silent tears fell down her cheeks. “She wanted to see the sun again.”

Ed straightened up with a heavy sigh and glanced at his watch. “Time of death…1242.” He laid a hand on Courtney’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” She leaned down and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Go on and fly, my Angel. You’re free.”

* * * * * * * * 

The moonlight did little to brighten the bleak campsite or the moods of those huddled around the small fire. Michael sat watching his captors warily as they went about making a meager meal with what little supplies they seemed to have. He winced as he again tested his bounds and felt them bite into the flesh of his wrists. The wolf, which seemed to be bonded with the large silent Joe, turned its head towards him at the sound of his shuffling. Michael felt uncomfortable with the yellow eyes of the animal locked on him. And to make matters even worse the smell of the cooking food was making his mouth water.

“Hey,” he called out. “When do I get some chow?”

Shane turned and glared at the trooper. “When I feel like feeding you, that’s when.”

“Enough Shane,” Low-light admonished as he filled a plate with the simple stew they had made for dinner. “We take care of our prisoners. We aren’t Cobra. Or have you forgotten that little aspect?”

Shane’s eyes narrowed as he regarded his father before grabbing the plate and tossing it in front of Michael. For a moment the tension seemed to intensify in the small clearing between father and son before Shane lowered his eyes and went back to eating.

“Umm… how am I supposed to eat with my hands tied behind my back?” Michael spat.

“Figure it out.” Shane growled.

Snake-Eyes made a sharp gesture silencing Shane instantly. He then went over and retied Michael’s hands to the front, allowing him to eat his meal. _“We treat our enemy with honor,_ he signed, _“in the hope that perhaps they will return that honor to us.”_

“Cobra’s don’t have honor,” Shane retorted. “Only thing good for them is a bullet between the eyes.”

Low-Light instantly reached out and slapped Shane across the face. His eyes were hard as he ground out in barely controlled fury, “You do that and you’re no better then they are. And no son of mine…”

“Never asked you to be my father!” Shane cursed as he touched the cheek Low-Light had struck. “Your nothing but a fuckin’ coward!” He tossed his half empty plate onto the ground at the sniper’s feet and picked up his rifle. “I’m goin’ on patrol,” he announced as he stormed off into the shadows.

Low-Light cursed and made to follow when Snake-Eyes laid a hand on his shoulder. _“I’ll go. You are still too upset to deal with him, as he should be dealt with”._

He nodded reluctantly and resettled onto the stone he was using as a seat, watching Snake-Eyes melt into the surrounding shadows. Mentally berating himself for losing his temper, Mac cursed at himself for doing what he swore he would never do to his children. He knew he should have been there that day, but the attack on headquarters had left the Joes weak and scattered. They had reached who they could, as fast as they could. Mac had been too late to save his wife and daughter, and now, he realized with a shudder, he had been too late to save his son.

“Kid’s got a temper,” Michael sneered. “He’d make a good Cobra.”

Mac reached over and grabbed his rifle. Brandishing it at the Cobra, he warned, “One more word and ya won’t need to worry about another meal. Got it?”

“Yeah, got it.”

* * * * * * * * 

Snake-Eyes followed the sounds of movement and heavy breathing and could smell the boy’s sweat before he spotted him taking his anger out on a rotting log in a moonlit grove. With covert movements he moved towards the boy, stopping within an arm’s length, yet still concealed within the shadows of the night. He listened and watched as the boy continued to work off his anger, and realized how much the boy was like his father. Both loners, both holding in much pain, and both denying the fact that they needed each other to survive. They were two pieces of the same person and without one or the other, both would fail.

“Damn it all to hell!” Shane cursed as his foot cracked through the log and threw him tumbling off balance and onto his back.

 _“I see that Mother Nature has bested you”,_ Snake-Eyes signed as he merged from the shadows directly over Shane. _“Or perhaps you let her win?”_

Shane’s eyes narrowed for a moment before he chuckled lightly. “I guess it’s what I get for taking it out on a rotting piece of wood.” He untangled himself from the brush and stood, dusting the dirt and twigs from his clothing. “I guess dad sent you after me.” He sat on the log he had so recently used as a target. “I can take care of myself, ya know.”

Snake-Eyes shook his head and settled Indian style in front of the boy and offered him the canteen of water he carried. _“I came by_ _my own counsel. I have no doubt that you can care for yourself. It is when you allow your anger to cloud your judgment that worries_ _me”_. Snake-Eyes paused before adding, _“We all need someone to care for us at times.”_

Shane snorted and took a swig from the canteen. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I don’t need no one.”

_“What about your Father?”_

“What about him?” Shane’s anger was returning, building within and threatening to pop. “He don’t need me and I don’t need him.”

Snake-Eyes sighed and took a moment to gather his thoughts. _“If you truly believe that then you are a fool Shane. No man can survive alone, especially in this world.”_

“I don’t have to listen to this.” Shane tossed the canteen down beside the silent man and jumped up to leave, only to have a hand of iron grab his arm.

 _“Sit.”_ The silent man commanded.

Shane stood frozen for a moment before returning to the log with an irritated sigh. He knew better than to push Snake-Eyes, and he apparently had done just that. “Fine, you win. I’ll listen...for now.”

 _“There are things in life no child should have to witness and you,”_ he laid a hand on Shane’s knee, “ _you have witnessed far to many of those things, as have many of the other young ones who fight the war. As your protectors, we have failed in hiding the horrors of the world from your eyes and soul”._

“I ain’t no child!” Shane protested. “And I don’t need…”

Snake-Eyes silenced him with a sharp gesture. _“It is time you listened for once and stopped arguing.”_ He waited until the boy curtly nodded before he continued. _“You have seen to much horror and death in your short life, and it has scarred you here.”_ He reached up and touched Shane’s heart. _“Your wounds are not visible and not easily healed. I know, I have the same scars and fears.”_

Shane startled, a look of disbelief crossing his face. “You? But you’re not scared of _anything_!”

The silent man chuckled softly. _“Do you truly believe that?”_

The boy nodded.

_“The man who has no fear is a man who will find death quickly. The smart man embraces his fear and uses it to draw strength. Fear is not a weakness, denying that you fear is.”_

“I can’t,” the boy answered simply. “I won’t be like him.” He lowered his head.

Snake-Eyes reached out and titled the boy’s chin up. _“Your father is a strong man. He embraces his fear. You are much like him, you know.”_

Shane pulled back angrily. “I ain’t anything like him! I ain’t a coward! I was there, remember? I protected them! He didn’t!”

 _“I was with your father that day. He fought frantically to get to you, but we were cut off. I saw the fear and pain in his mind and heart when he found you and your mother and sister. He died that day and has been living as a ghost since.”  
_  
“I don’t care. He’s a coward, he wasn’t there!” Shane stood, his anger threatening to boil over. “Did you know Jaylynn screamed for her daddy while they raped her? And my Mom prayed he would come as they did? Did you know that? We needed him and he wasn’t there!”

The silent man remained sitting and regarded the young man before him. _“And you? How did you feel?”_

The question stopped Shane’s rising anger. “What’s that gotta do with anything?”

“It has much to do with everything. Were you angry? Scared? Alone?”

“Yes.”

_“Too which?”_

“All of them.”

_“And now?”_

Shane stood in the dark night and thought for a moment before answering. “Now? I don’t feel anything.”

The silent man nodded. _“You deny what you feel, and it is eating you alive inside. Take care Shane or you will become what you hate.”_

“I will not become my father.”

 _“No,”_ Snake-Eyes shook his head. _“You will not, but something far worse.”_

The silent man rose and melted into the shadows, leaving the boy standing in the alone in the grove. Shane couldn’t help but wonder why those final words had scared him so much.

* * * * * * * * * 

“Do y’all really expect me to believe that you’re from another dimension?” Bill shook his head as Clutch and Grunt finished their story. “That’s the biggest fish tale I ever heard and believe me I heard a lot of ‘em.”

Clutch sighed and shifted on the rusty cot he was sitting on. “I told ya you wouldn’t believe us.”

Bill snorted. “I expect this portal y’all were talking about ain’t ‘round any more?” Both men shook their heads. “So ya expect me to just take your word and trust you two? Who are supposed to be dead, I might add.”

“Daddy?” Dustin’s voice preceded the youth into the room. “There’s one more here with ‘em, but he looks like he’s in the late stages of the fever.”

Bill looked at the pair, startled. “How long your friend been sick?”

Grunt and Clutch exchanged glances. “Just a few days now.” Grunt answered. “But he seems to be getting better.”

“Cammy,” Bill turned to the girl. “Go have a look and do what needs t’ be done.” He then pointed at Clutch. “Ya show her where your friend is.”

The girl nodded and reaching into her pack, pulled out what looked like an antique first aid kit and then grabbed her rifle. “Come on,” she ordered, motioning to Clutch. They both walked into the shadowy hallway leaving the echoing of the others’ voices behind them.

“How old are ya anyway, kid?” Clutch asked as they moved down the hall.

Cammy’s reply was sharp. “Old enough.”

“Look kid, I’m just trying to be friendly.”

“Never said I wanted ya to, did I?” She prodded him in the back with her gun. “Now where’s your friend?”

Clutch shook his head. “Last room on the left. You know,” He continued as she jabbed him again, “People tend to cooperate more if you’re nice to ‘em.”

Cammy gave Clutch a quick glance as they stopped side by side and he managed to catch the tired look in her brown eyes. “Nice don’t get ya anything but dead here.” She pushed the door to the room Clutch had indicated open. Her eyes went instantly to the man lying prone on the bed.

Steeler lay on one of the rusty cots that sat piled against the walls in the dark room. He was wrapped in moth-eaten blankets and whatever else Clutch and Grunt had been able to find in order to keep their friend warm when the chills had set in. She walked over and squatted next to him, noticing his pale completion and shallow breathing. Cammy knew the signs far to well, she had seen many friends that looked the same way. _And buried more than I care to admit._ She thought to herself. She moved the blanket back from his forehead to feel it and recognized the man. _It’s Steeler! But that can’t be!_

“Y’all said he’s been like this a few days?” She asked as she went about taking his pulse and noting other symptoms. “How long, exactly?”

Clutch was silent as he thought for a moment. “We’ve been here nearly two weeks now, he got sick eight days ago.”

“And he’s still alive?” Cammy’s eyes met his, shocked. “What y’all treat him with?”

“We didn’t. Someone helped us. I can’t say who.”

The girl only nodded and continued to examine Steeler. “Whoever it was saved him.” She reached into her aid pack and pulled out a hypodermic and a bottle of liquid.

“Wait,” Clutch grabbed her arm. “I wanna know what you’re giving him. How do I know I can trust you?”

“You don’t.” Cammy answered simply. “Trust ain’t somthin’ handed out ‘round here. It’s earned.” She looked down at her arm where his hand still gripped her. “I’m fifteen an’ if ya want your friend to get better I’m the only one here who can help him.”

Clutch kept his grip on her arm a moment longer before nodding and allowing her to continue. “Thanks kid.”

She looked up for a moment and to Clutch’s surprise, gave him a small smile. “Your welcome.”

* * * * * * * * * 

“Well?” Bill asked as Cammy and Clutch returned. “Is it the fever?”

The girl nodded. “He’s holding his own though and I think he’ll make it.” She went and replaced the aid kit into her pack. “Give him a day or two and he can be moved.”

Bill nodded. “He’s lucky. Most die within the first three or four days.” He turned his attention back to Clutch. “And ya and your friend here are lucky not to be down with it too.”

“What is it exactly?” Grunt asked.

“No one knows, we ain’t been able to figure it out.” Bill shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. “But it kills fast and…” He stopped when he noticed Cammy’s hand reaching up to her earpiece. “Cammy?”

She motioned for him to be silent, and after a moment said, “Message from Eagle. Teams missing, proceed and recon detention center.” She listened a minute more and paled.

“What’s wrong?” Clutch asked, concerned.

Bill shot him a look to silence him, and rose to stand beside his daughter. “Cammy?” He laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “What is it?”

“Code Delta.”

Bill looked distressed. “Ya sure?”

She nodded slowly, swallowing once or twice. “Repeated twice and the verifying code is correct.” She looked up at her father. “End of message.”

The silence hung thick in the room before Bill broke it. “We have our orders,” he stated simply. “Lets get ready to move.” He grabbed his pack and slung it over his shoulder then turned his attention to Clutch and Grunt. “Your friend will be safe here, but you two are comin’ along.” He turned and moved from the dark room. “C’mon kids.”

The boys gathered up their packs and waited for their ‘prisoners’ to follow their father. “Wait,” Clutch touched Cammy gently on the shoulder as she moved to follow Bill. “What’s Code Delta?”

Cammy chewed at her bottom lip. “It’s used when Cobra takes prisoners.”

“So it’s a rescue mission?” Grunt asked.

She shook her head and turned away.

“Then what…” Clutch stopped as the realization hit him. “You don’t mean...?”

She nodded and in a soft voice whispered, “Yeah, we’re going to kill one of our own.”


	4. One Moment One Hope

[ ](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_From panic, pride, and terror,_   
_Revenge that knows no rein,_   
_Light haste and lawless error,_   
_Protect us yet again._   
_Cloak Thou our undeserving,_   
_Make firm the shuddering breath,_   
_In silence and unswerving_   
_To taste Thy lesser death!_

_Ah, Mary pierced with sorrow,_   
_Remember, reach and save_   
_The soul that comes to-morrow_   
_Before the God that gave!_   
_Since each was born of woman,_   
_For each at utter need --_   
_True comrade and true foeman --_   
_Madonna, intercede!_

_E'en now their vanguard gathers,_   
_E'en now we face the fray --_   
_As Thou didst help our fathers,_   
_Help Thou our host to-day!_   
_Fulfilled of signs and wonders,_   
_In life, in death made clear --_   
_Jehovah of the Thunders,_   
_Lord God of Battles, hear!_   
_Kipling_

* * * * * * * *

The banquet hall was alit in color. The music played by the live band filtered about and intertwined with the din of voices gossiping and the sounds of crystal stemware. Officers in dress uniform, mingled with people in their best finery, some watching those brave enough to take the dance floor. Sarah smiled politely, nodding to those she knew as she meandered through the crowd and attempted to spot her employer’s return.

Her dark green gown seemed contrast to the near-neon colors that the other women favored, as did the dark brown color of her hair. Many other women were dying their hair to brighter, more vibrant colors, as if it would offset the depressing shadows that lurked just beyond their next breath.

 _As if any of them actually take notice of anything aside from what time the next party is._ She thought to herself as she watched those on the dance floor twirl in a blur of color. _What’s worse, most of them don’t even care._

In truth, she hated attending these functions. For one, she found them daunting. Second, the way the few privileged flaunted that they had the power and money to support such a frivolous gathering while so many starved or froze in the dark city infuriated her. However, as the Baroness’ personal assistant, she was required to attend, and, she admitted grimly, it was a good way to gather information. She had discovered long ago that the gossip among the well-to-do was more true than not. She turned from the couples upon the dance floor to catch sight of the Baroness returning from wherever it was Destro’s guards had summoned her to. One look told Sarah it wasn’t good. She quickly made her way through the crowd to the woman’s side, grabbing a flute of champagne as she passed one of the many servants bearing trays of drinks.

The Baroness smiled and nodded greetings to one of the many generals that bowed to her as she moved through the crowd. She caught Sarah’s eye and motioned inconspicuously to one of the less crowded corners of the room, occupied only by a group of chittering women. “Destro knows more than we thought,” she said softly once the two women were sufficiently out of earshot of the gossipers. She took a sip of the campaign Sarah offered. “He’s managed to get to some of the teams.”

“What!?” Sarah gasped, looking startled before quickly composing her expression back into the pleasant smile more appropriate for the party. “Do ya know which teams?” she asked, her eyes begging. “My family…”

The Baroness shook her head. “No, no, it wasn’t them. Destro would do more than gloat if he managed to get to one of the remaining Joes.” She fell silent and smiled pleasantly at some passing guests, and then continued. “He does however, have Mark.”

“Oh no…Galvin? Clair?”

“Clair’s on the move. Galvin’s dead.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, saying a silent prayer. “How many... did he hit?”

“I know of four teams. Mark was the only one taken alive.” She glanced over and saw Destro enter the room, and spot them. As the masked man began to move through the crowd towards them, she said quickly with a perfectly neutral expression, “He survived the session tonight, but he won’t live much longer. I must think about this, and quickly.”

Sarah nodded. “I know what I need to do.”

“Ladies.” Destro bowed in greeting to them as he intruded upon their conversation. “One would wonder why two lovely ladies such as you are hiding in a corner during a wonderful party.” His tone was congenial, but a hint of suspicion laced his words. “Perhaps discussing affairs of state?”

The Baroness smiled sweetly. “Somewhat, Destro. I was actually giving Sarah final instructions on my needs for the meeting with our esteemed Cobra Commander tomorrow.”

“Is that so?” His eyes locked on Sarah’s face. She nodded and lowered hers as she was expected to do. “I am sure your assistant,” he stressed the word ever so slightly, hinting of slandering the title, “can manage the remaining preparations alone?”

“Of course,” Sarah answered, again as she was expected to do in his presence. “I can see to it.”

“Excellent.” He gripped the Baroness’ elbow, leading her away. “I believe they are playing an Austrian waltz. Care to dance, my dear?”

“I would be honored Destro,” she cooed. She managed to catch Sarah’s eyes and shift her eyes to the door before she and Destro vanished into the sea of bodies.

* * * * * * * *

He was freezing, not only in body, but also in spirit. He barely remembered the last few hours, aside from the intense pain as Destro tortured him and then tossed him like a discarded rag back into the dark, damp cell. Bruised and bloody, he couldn’t even remember if he had relented and given any vital information. The drugs fogged his mind beyond comprehensible thought.

 _Well big brother,_ floated up through the haziness in his mind. _Looks like I’m not going to be the hero you were._

He jerked in surprise when he swore he heard someone answer.

_I wasn’t a hero. I just did my job._

_Must be the drugs…_ Mark told himself as he curled up tighter under the thin blanket they had tossed to him. _Either that or I’m cracking up._

_Just stay strong little brother._

“Yeah,” He mumbled as the darkness closed in, “I’m cracking up.”

* * * * * * * *

Sarah moved quickly as she could through the darkening streets, she needed to get to the safe house. She hoped beyond hope that some of the teams had managed to gather there, and if they had, she needed to filter them out of the city before Cobra managed to strike again. She silently cursed the fates that had found their way into Cobra Commander’s slimy hands and allowed him to become the fanatical tyrant that now ruled the world in an iron fist.

After leaving the party, she had gone back to the Baroness’ offices, where she had gone through the motions of working for about forty minutes before going to her apartment. She paid careful attention to her surroundings, making doubly sure she wasn’t being followed, but she couldn’t be absolutely certain. Once there, Sarah quickly changed into the dark, rough clothing much more suitable for moving within the population in the city. She slipped out a dim, hidden passage from the back of her building and had headed out into the night, keeping to the back alleys and shadows when at all possible.

 _We saw it coming and didn’t do a thing to stop it either._ She chastised herself silently as she made her way down a nearly deserted street. _And_ _now were paying a higher price than any of us ever thought possible._ She caught the fearful glances thrown in her direction as people skittered away deeper into the shadows as she passed. She ducked into an alley as a large group of troopers emerged from a bar a few buildings up the block and waited as they stumbled past and off down the street, shoving at anyone not fast enough to get out of the way. She took another moment to double check no one was watching her and that no other troopers were coming. With a pounding heart at the near miss, she again began moving towards her objective.

The safe house was a battered shell of a building, its windows broke and walls barley standing; it was one of the last places a person would choose to call shelter. Those who most often made use of it usually had little choice. Sarah quickly ducked through the door, securing it behind her as she picked her way into the dark bowels of the interior and down the rickety stairs to the basement. She removed a small flashlight from her pouch and it only took a single sweep to determine that no one was using the shelter. That only meant one of two possibilities, either the survivors had considered it unsafe to come here, or, she felt a shudder course through her body, there was no one left to hide. She checked the message canister and small stash of supplies, and was about to leave when the soft creaking of the wooden floorboards overhead pricked her warning senses. Sarah drew herself into the shadows and waited, taking out her small pistol and keeping it ready.

She stifled a sneeze as a cloud of dust and dirt rained down on her from above. She listened intently to the creaking of the stairs as the intruder fumbled down them. _Whoever it is moves like they’re either hurt or exhausted,_ Sarah determined to herself. She watched as the shape moved into view and stumbled against the wall, barely catching themselves to keep from falling. It was at that moment the former Joe caught sight of the figure’s face, and quickly stuffed her gun into her pouch as she jumped forward to catch the girl that was slowly sliding down the wall to the ground.

“Help…” she whispered weakly. “Please.”

Sarah held the exhausted young woman to her and gently brushed her soaked blond hair from her dirty face. “It’s all right, baby... you’re safe now Clair.”

* * * * * * * * *

The feather light touch of a hand on his shoulder roused Low-Light from his dreamless sleep. He opened his blue eyes to find Snake-Eyes signing that someone was coming towards their camp.

“How many?” He asked the silent man as he threw back his blanket and grabbed his rifle, glancing at Shane as he did the same.

 _“Four,”_ Snake-Eyes signed. _“On motorcycles.”_

Mac nodded and quickly moved into a position behind a rock formation, giving him a clear shot at the path coming to the camp. The sounds of engines became apparent. “Probably ours, but no chances.”

“Oh good, company.” Michael sneered as Shane forced him to his feet and moved him behind a clump of thick bushes.

“Shutup.” The boy ordered, jamming his rifle into the Cobra’s face. The man scooted back from the barrel a fraction of an inch. “Don’t think I won’t do it either.”

“I dare you,” the man hissed.

Snake-Eyes motioned sharply for silence as the sound of the motorcycles cut off. The crunch of boots on the rock strewn path could be heard coming closer only to stop. The three Joes tensed…waiting with breaths held as the silence hug heavy in the air.

“Frogs.” A familiar voice called out softly from the shadows.

Low-Light relaxed his guard slightly before he replied, “In winter.” He watched through the sight of his rifle from his position as Recondo and three others entered the moonlit clearing. “You’re early.” He slung his rifle over his shoulder and moved from his hiding spot. Snake-Eyes emerged from the shadows behind the newcomers.

Recondo smiled as he stepped forward, holding out his hand to Low-Light, who clasped it in a firm handshake “Yeah, got what we could and high-tailed out before Cobra started searching the city.” He paused, withdrawing his hand. “Did you hear about…?”

“Yeah, “ Low-Light’s one word answer said it all as his eyes glanced at the others. “Mutt! Long time no see.”

Mutt nodded in greeting. “Good to be back. Six months is too long to be in that damn city.”

“Savannah,” Recondo turned to the dark-haired girl behind him. “You and Ethan move the bikes from the open and check the packs.”

“Right Dad,” the girl acknowledged. The siblings disappeared off into the shadows surrounding the camp.

“What is this?” Michael sneered as Shane hauled him out and pushed him back down to the ground. “A kindergarten? No wonder we beat you-” His mockery went silent with a grunt as Shane’s rifle butt slammed into his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs.

“And I told ya to shut up, didn’t I?” Shane growled, threatening with his barrel again.

“Shane!” Low-light snapped. He waited until he had the boy’s attention. “One more hit and you’ll be the one tied up. Got me?”

The boy’s blue eyes narrowed in rebellious defiance. “Yeah, I _got_ ya.”

Mac nodded, deciding to leave it at that. “Go help with the motorcycles.”

“Yes _sir_ ,” Shane spit the words out in contempt as he jogged past his father.

Snake-Eyes crossed his arms over his chest and watched the boy retreat.

Mac wheeled on the Cobra. “And you! You keep your mouth shut!”

Mutt and Recondo exchanged nervous glances as they watched the exchange between father and son, both confirming the other’s worry. The conflict between the two was common knowledge to the Joes, but the extent the rift had exploded was a surprise.

 _Later._ Recondo silently mouthed behind the sniper’s back. Mutt nodded, glancing to Snake-Eyes who moved his hand in a gesture of agreement. “Duke wanted us in as soon as possible.” Recondo continued. “Lifeline needs the medical supplies yesterday.”

“Our tour is done anyway,” Mac said as he turned to glare at the prisoner. “’Sides, need to haul this in for questioning.” He jerked a thumb.

“We should wait until nightfall after the satellite passes.” Snake-Eyes motioned.

“Agreed.” Recondo replied. “That’ll give us time to rest too.”

Mutt stood and dusted his hands off on his pants. “In the meantime I’m up for some chow. I’ll go help the kids finish with the motorcycles and grab some C-rations while I’m at it.”

Recondo dropped wearily onto the log Mutt had vacated. “It’s settled then. We move out tonight.”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Uplink in five minutes, Duke.” Mainframe called over his shoulder as Duke entered the area they used as a command center. It was a cluttered space, with wires strung like a bad Christmas light job and machines placed haphazardly. The impression was that it had been hastily tossed together, which in part, was true. However, to the Joes it strategically meant it could be quickly broken down and moved.

Duke nodded as he watched the computer specialist and his team fly about the room as they prepared to uplink with one of the Cobra satellites that the Baroness had managed to copy the access codes for. Duke hated taking the risk of tapping the satellite but there was no other way of communicating with the other teams scattered across the country, aside from sending a messenger, and he couldn’t spare the personnel for that mission.

“Make double sure the link is secure Blaine. I don’t want anyone tapping in,” Duke ordered as he nodded in greeting to the others gathered there. He silently blessed Snake-Eyes for sending the disk ahead with Timber when he was caught in the badlands with Mac’s team. The wolf had left the instant Duke removed the collar and pouch from the animal’s neck, heading back to his master.

“No problem Duke.” Mainframe exchanged glances with his assistant and wife, Ann-Marie. “A.M. and I got it covered.”

The woman snorted as her hands flew across her keyboard. “Only cause I plug the holes you leave Blaine.”

“Oh very funny Ann.”

“You love it and you know it, Hacker.”

Duke smiled slightly at the good-natured teasing between the couple. It seemed out of place to him, and yet it was a relief to see it. Even among those living on the edge, there was a sense of hope. His eyes wandered over the room and caught the tired faces of Dusty and his wife standing off, away from the action, Dusty’s arms protectively around Covergirl. He moved towards them with tired footsteps. “Dusty, Courtney,” he greeted them quietly.

“Duke,” Dusty nodded a greeting in return. His face was pinched with grief and exhaustion. Courtney didn’t even respond.

“I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about Kimberly. If you need to take some time--”

“No.” Courtney interrupted him, her voice choked. “We know our duty, and too many others need us.”

“The offer still stands whenever you need it.”

Dusty nodded silently.

“Twenty seconds, Duke,” Mainframe called out. “And let’s hope they got good news out there.”

The screen crackled and the speakers screeched as Blaine and Ann fought to establish a clear signal to the west coast contingent.

“Damn thing’s gonna fight the whole way,” Ann cursed. “Blaine, give me another boost.”

Mainframe nodded and his hands flew across his keyboard. “Best I can do, Babe.”

“It’ll have to do then Hacker.” She concentrated on her screen and suddenly reached out and smacked the receiver with a fist. There was a loud blast of static and the main screen cleared. “Damn I’m good!” She smiled over at her husband. “Time to start playing satellite ping pong.” As one they turned to their keyboards and the task at hand.

“Com…Duk…hear me?” Dial-Tone’s voice was soon joined by his grinning face as it appeared on the main screen when the static and signal settled. “Hello from the west coast.”

“Jack, damn good to hear your voice,” Duke returned, nodding in greeting to the others gathered around the communication’s officer. He was relieved to see most of the Joes in the picture. “And see your ugly face.”

“Like you have room to talk,” Jack teased back with a malicious grin. “How’re things in your neck of the woods?”

Duke’s face drew tight. “Not good. We’ve lost four teams.”

“What?!” The startled exclamation was echoed by the others gathered around Dial-Tone, who quickly silenced them with a motion. “Anyone out here that needs to be informed?”

Duke shook his head. “No, most of them were based here or there is no one left to tell.”

“Understood.” The channel fell silent for a moment. “Dr. Kay says she’s ready to report Duke.” Jack turned and looked to the petite, dark-haired woman standing behind him. She was one of the many civilians that had found sanctuary with the Joes after Cobra’s overthrow of the government. Duke had lost count of the number of non-combatants that had volunteered to help the Joes after the battle. Many of them wanted by Cobra for the skills they possessed. Dr. Kaylee Ashburn was one such case.

“Duke,” Kay smiled brightly, her dark brown eyes sparkling with teasing, “good to see you and know that you’re still too stubborn to give into that bastard.”

Duke chuckled. “Same to you Kay.” He glanced sideways as Ed stepped forward.

“Eddy,” Kay winked at the other doctor but her smile and teasing disappeared as she caught the tired look on his face. “You’re looking frazzled.”

Ed nodded. “It’s getting worse out here, Kay. “I’ve lost another six this week alone, the damn fever is eating us alive here.”

The woman nodded. “In that case let me give you the good news.” Her smile returned as she gestured to someone off camera.

“We could use some,” Ed replied.

Kay accepted a bundle and held it up to the camera. “We had a new addition to the camp two weeks ago. Meet Naomi Renee Blais, weighing in at 6 lb 5 oz. and 19 inches long, with a head full of red hair, as you can see.” The sleeping baby shifted her tiny hand and yawned.

There was a stifled sob from the back of the room among the murmurs of delight at the new arrival. Duke knew it was Courtney.

Ed grinned, a bit of the weariness leaving his face. “They say that a baby’s birth is God’s way of showing he still has hope in this world. Give Cross-Country cigar for me. How’s Mollie doing?”

“I’m fine Lifeline,” Mollie Blais answered as she leaned into the camera, taking the baby back from Kay. I swear Rob’s ne’er touchin’ me again.”

“Poor Rob is nursing a bruised hand.” She chuckled as she handed the baby back. “The man was locked in Mollie’s iron grip for 12 hours.”

“Tell him to put an ice pack on it, take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” Ed winked.

“But that’s not all the news I wanted to tell you. Our little Naomi is showing absolutely no signs of the fever. In fact, she is producing antibodies against it.”

“What?” Ed’s face betrayed his shock. Murmurs of the others floated up from behind. “That’s not possible.”

“Kay, are you saying what I think you are?” Duke asked, his face pleading for her to affirm his hopes.

The woman smiled and held up a small vile of liquid. “Gentleman and ladies, may I introduce a little magic potion I concocted while toiling over my cauldron one night.”

“Kay…you Witch,” Ed said affectionately using her code name as he suddenly found himself wishing he could reach through the screen and grab the vile.

“It’s still being tested Ed, but as I said Naomi is producing antibodies. I hope to be able to produce more using her blood as a map.”

Ed nodded slowly, letting it sink in. “It’s still more than I had 24 hours ago Kay. You keep brewing this stuff up,” he smiled, “and I’ll get you a dozen cauldrons.”

“It’s a deal, Eddy.” She turned slightly. “Ok, this witch is outta here, and Eddy?”

“Yeah Witch?”

“I’m your wife, not a witch,” she returned, quoting a line from a old favorite movie. “Good luck.” She smiled one last time before turning the screen over to Mercer.

Ed sighed and took a step back. “Yeah, I know,” he whispered. Leaving Kay on the west coast was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

“Okay, give me the low-down Mercer.” Duke said as Mercer took Kay’s place.

The ex-Cobra shrugged nonchalantly. “Consider the third battalion out of the picture Duke.”

Cheers erupted behind Duke, and he waved his hand to silence them. “Any casualties?”

Mercer smiled coldly. “Not on our side. We had nothing major. Few gun shot wounds, no fatalities.”

The corner of Duke’s mouth curled up ever so slightly. “Mercer, I owe you a steak if I can ever find one again.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Duke.”

“I bet you will. Give your team my congratulations on a mission well done and my thanks.”

Mercer nodded. “You got it Duke, and good luck to you.” He moved out of the screen’s range, allowing Dial-Tone to retake his place.

“We’re ready for file transfer when you are Blaine.” Dial-Tone punched a few keys. “Let’s hope these codes are good for a while.”

Mainframe nodded as he glanced up at the main screen. “There are a few extra goodies for your people to chew on. She managed to get her hands on their encrypt codes.”

“You’re kidding!” Jack’s face betrayed his eagerness to get his hands on the information. “We can bring down their entire network with those. Oh, we’re gonna love this hacking job!”

“I know,” Mainframe chuckled, turning back to his screen. “Commencing transfers now.”

Jack glanced at something above him, off screen. “Uplink is good, files are being received.”

“Shit!” Ann’s curse cut through the room. “We gotta hound on our tails, Hacker!” Her hands flew frantically over her keyboard. “Thirty seconds and they’ll trace us.”

“Damn it!” Blaine quickly checked the file progress. “Jack! How long on your end?”

“Thirty-five seconds for complete transfer!”

Mainframe and Ann exchanged quick glances. “Ok Babe, time to see how good we really are.”

“Cut it if you have to,” Duke ordered as he watched the couple work madly. “We can’t afford to be traced.”

“We might not get another shot at this Duke!”

“That’s an order Mainframe! I don’t care, there are to many lives here!”

Blaine nodded curtly, his eyes not leaving his screen. “Understood. Dial-Tone, get ready to cut the link on my mark.”

“Standing by.” Came Jack’s tense reply. “And in case I miss the chance to say this, stay alive out there, hear me?”

“We hear you Jack.” Duke answered.

“Fifteen seconds and they have us,” Ann counted down, her mind working in overdrive. Suddenly she brightened. “Hacker! I have an idea that may buy us another seven or eight seconds!” She exclaimed as her fingers flew across her keyboard. “Remember that old weather satellite?”

Blaine smiled. “A.M. I love you!”

“I know.”

“Your gonna ghost off of it, ain’t ya?” Jack chuckled as he realized what she was doing. “Ann, I’d kiss you if I was there.”

“I’ll remember that.” She shot back, not looking away from her screen. “Get ready to kill the link Jack.”

“Standing by. Ten seconds.”

“Five.”

“Come on, come on!” Blaine muttered, wishing he could climb into his computer and speed up the transfer. “They almost have us.”

“Two. Yo Joe!” Dial-Tone yelled.

“Kill it!” Blaine and Ann shouted in chorus.

The screens went dark, but one sentence blinked on Mainframe’s monitor.

FILE TRANSFER COMPLETE

* * * * * * * * * *

“Well?” Cobra Commander demanded.

“I’m s-sorry sir, but we lost the signal at the last moment.” The man swallowed visibly. “We needed another three seconds to establish a hard trace.”

The Commander’s eyes narrowed in the eye slits of his hood. “You mean to tell me that with all that equipment you couldn’t complete a minor trace?”

The TeleViper took an involuntary step back. “It’s not that simple, S-sir. They used our own satellites against us!”

“Explain.”

“The disk they stole contained access codes to our communication satellites, sir.” The TeleViper explained hastily. “They managed to piggyback a signal out and they ghosted off several other satellites to hide the signal once it was established. We managed to track them to an old weather satellite before the connection was cut.”

The Commander drummed his fingers on his desk. “So what your saying is a bunch of Joesss, who are _supposed_ to be _dead_ managed to tap into our satellites with _second rate_ equipment, and then managed to _avoid_ being traced?”

“Yes sir.”

The Commander stood and moved to the front of his desk, looming over the TeleViper. “I find your answersss... unacceptable. However I am feeling generous today and will allow you to fight for your life.”

“Sir, please.” The man pleaded, sweat visible on his face. “I-I have a family!”

Cobra Commander’s eyes betrayed the cruel smile beneath his hood. “You do? Well then, I’ll sssee they join you in the arena.” He turned to his personal guards and raised a hand. “Take this worthlesss trash away and then collect his entire family. We can’t have more like him walking around now, can we?”

As the guards moved forward to grab the stunned TeleViper by the arms and began pulling him from the room he cried, “Sir! I’m begging you!” He managed to add before they removed him completely, “Not my family!”

The Commander regarded the man with cold eyes. “Only the strong may live.” He waved the guards on, his insane laughter echoing in the hall as he was dragged off.

* * * * * * * *

“There’s four guards at the entry point,” Cammy reported as she and Dustin slinked back into the small, rundown shack the team was using as a hiding spot. “Two in each tower station, four corners. And roving patrols every five minutes.”

“Dog patrols every fifteen minutes. Security cameras covering most of the yard and perimeter out to the tree line.” Dustin added. “Standard fare. But they still are feelin’ cocky that nobody’ll ever escape. It still ain’t got a fence.”

Bill leaned back in the rickety chair he occupied and thought for a moment. “Can ya get a shot off?”

“Are you nuts!?” Clutch exclaimed. “With that amount of security you’d be lucky to…”

“Shutup!” Bill’s brown eyes narrowed at the man. “Camille?” he asked more gently, then waited for his answer.

The girl stood silent for a time chewing her lip as she mulled over her chances. “I can get one, maybe two, off before they would get a bead on me.”

Bill nodded. “Go get into a position that ya can back out of fast and wait for them to transfer Mark out for another session.”

The girl turned without another word and dug through her pack. Removing her precious night scope, she mounted it on the rifle that her younger brother had handed her. “Thanks Jeb.”

“You be careful Cammy.” The boy hugged her.

“That looks like Low-Light’s scope,” Grunt muttered.

Cammy shot him a glance over Jeb’s head and nodded. “It was. He taught me how to shoot. I will Jeb” She turned and looked at her father giving him a small smile. “See ya soon daddy.” She disappeared into the night.

Clutch stood in shock for a moment before his anger exploded. “Are you all crazy?!”

Bill jumped up from his seat and advanced on the man. “I suggest ya hold your tongue. Ya have no idea what’s goin’ on here!”

“Lance…” Grunt grabbed Clutch’s shoulder.

“No idea?!” He pushed Grunt’s hand away. “No idea?! You just sent your own kid off to kill someone like it’s an every day thing! What kind of father are you, lettin’ her--”

The fist slammed into his jaw before he even had a chance to duck it. Clutch staggered back, falling to the hard dirt floor. Shaking his head to clear his senses, he looked up to see Bill standing over him, pistol drawn.

“I would stop there,” Bill ground out, “an’ keep your opinion to yourself.”

“Fine.” Clutch pulled himself back up on his feet with the hand Grunt extended. “It’s her blood on your hands if she gets killed out there.”

Bill lowered his gun. “I know.” He turned and retook his seat, taking off his battered hat and rubbing his forehead. “God Almighty, I know.”

Clutch silently cursed and his eyes roved the room. They may be content and let the girl go to her death, but he wasn’t. His gaze fell to the rifle that Jeb had carried, now leaning against a table where the boy had left it. He was close enough that if he caught them off guard...

With a swift movement Clutch had the rifle in hand and dashed out into the darkness.

“Shit!” Dustin cursed as he raised his own rifle to sight on Clutch’s retreating form. His father’s hand appeared, lowering his barrel to the floor. “Daddy?” he asked, confused.

“Let him go.” Bill’s voice betrayed his fatigue. “Jus’ let him go.”

* * * * * * * *

“Are you sure about this?” Sarah asked her employer as they drove out of the city. “It could cause more suspicion towards you.”

The Baroness nodded. “I know Sarah, but there’s no other way to get Mark out of there short of in a body bag.”

Sarah chewed her bottom lip and fell silent for a moment. “But to put yourself in a position like this... with Destro... he already suspects something,” she protested.

“I am aware of his interest in me, and take more caution than you are aware of.” She glanced at Sarah out of the corner of her eye. “What if it was Camille or Bill in there, Sarah?”

The other woman stared straight ahead at the road and took a deep breath. “I would do my job,” she answered simply.

“Even if it means sacrificing yourself or them?”

“Yes.”

“Then how can I ask less of myself?”

Sarah nodded. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.” She turned down a dirt road and followed it until she saw the guard house.

“Good,” the Baroness murmured.

Immediately a Crimson Guardsman stepped into the center of the road, his weapon raised. He held up a hand to stop the vehicle, and another Guardsman came to the driver’s window. He saluted when he recognized the woman in the passenger seat. “Yes Baroness?”

“I have come to see a prisoner,” she stated flatly, chuckling silently to herself as her voice automatically fell into the aristocratic tones she used with the troopers. “I have questions the Commander wishes to have answers to.”

“Yes ma’am.” The guard motioned for the other man to step aside, both saluting as Sarah drove the car by them.

“I hope this works Alexia.” Sarah whispered.

“So do I.”

* * * * * * * *

I have got to be out of my mind. Clutch mentally kicked himself. I’m wandering around in enemy territory, without a clue of where I am goin’, lookin’ for a kid who’s probably a better shot than I am. Yeah, really smart there Lance. He froze when the sound of an engine reached his ears, quickly glancing about to find cover before he was spotted.

“Get down!” An angry whisper quickly followed by jerk on his wrist, forced him down into a small drainage trench.

“Cammy?”

“Quiet!” She ordered. Both laid silent as the car moved past them and continued down the dirt road. Cammy remained still for a few minutes more after the sound of the engine had faded and the sounds of the night returned. Only then did she crawl out of the trench to the tree line. She checked the road before she turned to glare at Clutch. “Are you insane?” she hissed.

“No more than the rest of you people,” Clutch shot back.

Cammy snorted and reshouldered her rifle. “Go back. I don’t need your help. I know what I gotta do”

Clutch stood his ground. “Sorry kid. I can’t do that.”

“Fine,” Cammy shrugged as if she didn’t care, but she was lying to herself. “Jus’ don’t get in my way.”

* * * * * * * *

Mark stirred as voice penetrated his mind. He fought to open his eyes against the gritty goop that pasted them shut. Damn, he thought to himself, it wasn’t a nightmare. He could hear the guards outside his cell and the familiar clanging and creaking of the lock as the guard turned the key. _Oh good,_ _visitors_. He shook his head to clear it. _Man, you are loosing it Armbuster._

“I don’t know how the Commander expects you to get information out of that, Mistress.”

 _Sarah?! What the hell?_ Mark’s mind suddenly seized the small piece of sanity that it had left as the woman’s voice filtered through. It gave him something he didn’t expect: hope.

“I know. It is a pity that Destro was so rough on him last time.”

_The Baroness? What is going on?_

“Bring him into the yard. I think a trip to the stocks for a bit will loosen his tongue.” She said with a wave of her hand.

“Yes, Baroness.” A guard intoned as he and another guard moved forward to roughly haul Mark off the pallet and drag him to his feet. He stumbled forward out into the shadow-incased hallway.

 _Oh good._ Mark thought to himself. _Fresh air._

The cold air of the night slammed into Mark like a fist in the gut. The thin coveralls did little to protect him from the chilling wind that now battered his tortured body. He remained limp in the grip of the guards as they pulled him across the courtyard and towards the old-fashioned stocks. He knew that the Baroness and Sarah had followed, he could hear their footsteps squishing in the mud behind him, and he couldn’t help but wonder why they were risking their lives for him. Then the reason hit.

 _Code Delta!_ His mind screamed as insane laughter trickled through it. _Destro you bastard! You lose!_

* * * * * * * * *

Cammy shifted in the perch she chosen in the shadows of the trees, lining up a clear shot of the courtyard of the detention center. She quickly checked her rifle and scope again before glancing down at the man in the bushes below. She couldn’t bring herself to believe it was the Clutch she knew, and because of that she couldn’t understand why he head refused to return to the shack. This wasn’t his fight, why should he care what happens to a kid that he didn’t know? She mentally shrugged and resettled into position, prepared to wait as long as necessary to do her duty. To her surprise, her wait wasn’t long. About fifteen minutes later, the door to the cell block opened and two guards dragged Mark out into the open. Cammy straightened up, taking a deep breath and sighted. “Forgive me, Mark,” she whispered. Within her crosshairs, Mark’s drooped head centered. She held her breath as Low-Light taught her and squeezed off the shot.

Just as the recoil of her rifle popped against her shoulder, the near guard tripped and fell slightly forward. He jerked at the impact of the bullet, losing his hold on Mark and fell face down with a spray of mud.

Mark felt the pressure of the one guard’s hands drop from his arm at the same moment as the echo of the gunshot hit his mind. The other guard immediately released his other arm and he weakly tumbled to the muddy ground. Mark lay still, his eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the bullet with his name on it.

Cammy gasped, and her eyes went wide, not because her shot missed its target, but because suddenly saw someone she didn’t expect. _Shit! Mom! What is this? A rescue?_

She stared, paralyzed for several moments before Clutch’s harsh whisper penetrated her mind. “Cammy! Take another shot!”

Seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Mark could hear the sounds of alarm beginning around him. Suddenly, he grasped a thought: _Maybe it’s_ _a rescue! Ok Armbuster get your ass up and run! If you’re gonna die, make them work for it!_ He forced his body to move and found his hand clutching a sidearm that belonged to the dead guard. Without thinking he turned and fired a shot, hitting the other guard at almost point-blank range. The man doubled over and dropped to the ground like a rock. _Please let this work._ He spun and aimed.

Sarah startled as both guards were struck dead, one by sniper fire and the other by Mark. _Oh God! Duke what did you do?!_ She pulled out her own gun and forced the Baroness down to better protect her from any stray fire. “Duke called a Delta!” She whispered in her ear. She waited for the finial shot that she knew would come to kill Mark, as more troopers ran out of the barracks. She felt the hot path of the bullet tear into her hip and she cried out in pain as she toppled back from the impact. She vaguely remembered Mark reaching down and hauling the Baroness to her feet and using her a shield. Sarah found herself wondering if she would ever see her children or husband again.

 _What the hell is he doing!?_ Cammy’s mind screamed as Mark raised his pistol and shot her mother then grabbed the Baroness and used her as a hostage. A voice from somewhere in her mind answered, _Whatever it is it might work Cammy so play along._ She quickly laid down cover fire, taking out troopers that dared to get to close to Mark as he moved towards the treeline. “I need help with cover fire!” She yelled down at Clutch. “Take out the tower guards!”

Clutch took aim and brought down the two troopers in the closest tower, then turned his attention to the courtyard. As the Cobras succumbed to the barrage of gunfire that rained down upon them, he heard Cammy scrambling in the tree above him and then the thump of her feet hitting the ground. Bullets began to rip through the foliage above her head.

“We gotta move.” She ordered even as she headed deeper into the trees.

“I ain’t arguing,” Clutch agreed as he backed up and followed her.

“I don’t know what the hell’s going on,” she turned towards the sounds of something or someone crashing through the bushes. She set and leveled her rifle just in case. “But were about to find out.”

Two forms broke through the brush, one supporting the other. “Camille?” The Baroness’ relieved look quickly changed to shock when she spotted who was covering them from behind the girl. “I see you found them.”

Clutch grinned, lowering his weapon. “They found us actually, but we can talk later.” He stepped forward to take Mark from the Baroness and handed her his rifle. “Let’s get outta here.”

Mark looked blearily at the man supporting him as they stumbled through the forest. “Hey Lance, long time no see.” He croaked. “Guess this means I’m dead.”

“Not yet you ain’t, but ya will be if we don’t keep movin’.” He picked Mark up and slung him over his shoulder. “Hang on!”

“Just shuddup and move it!” Cammy shouted as she spun and laid down cover fire against the troopers that came into sight. “They’re comin’!” She grabbed the Baroness and yanked her on ahead. “Run!”

They ran hard for five minutes, Clutch still carrying the semi-conscious Mark. Cammy never felt such relief in her life when she saw the shack through the trees. The lead three burst into the small clearing and Cammy relaxed as her family and Grunt poured out of the shack, ready to lay down more cover fire. _Almost home free..._ she told herself, bringing up the rear.

From nowhere, a sharp double crack echoed through the air, followed by the whistling of a bullet past her ear. She instinctively ducked away, only to have the second bullet tear through material and flesh on entry and exit of her shoulder. Cammy screamed at the blinding pain flaring through her and she went crashing to the ground. She could hear the snapping of twigs beneath the Crimson Guardsman’s boots as he walked over to her, rifle up, covering her. Her rifle just out of her reach, she didn’t make an attempt to grab it. A small sob escaped as she felt the cold steel of the barrel against her temple. Closing her eyes, she murmured, “Sorry daddy,” and tensed.

“Damn Joe bitch,” he growled. “You’re gonna pay dearly for--”

She jumped at the report of a rifle, but strangely, didn’t feel any new pain. It was a moment before she realized the pressure on her temple had gone away. She cracked open an eye to find Clutch, rifle in hand, kneeling in front of her. The Crimson Guardsman was sprawled in the brush a few yards beyond her rifle.

“Cammy! Don’t move baby, okay?” he cautioned as he applied pressure to the bleeding wound.

“Camille!” Bill raced over and shoved Clutch away. Quickly taking in his daughter’s condition, he ignored Clutch as he picked himself up from the ground.

“It’s okay,” she insisted, but the tears streaming down her face betrayed her pain. She winced at her father’s prodding exam. “Jus’ get me outta here daddy.”

The Baroness came up behind Bill. “You need to get going, before they launch the search vehicles.” She turned to Clutch. “Where is Steeler?”

Grunt joined them. “Back at base. Took a downturn.”

The Baroness frowned.

Bill looked up at the woman. “You know them?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Maybe now you’ll trust us.” Clutch suggested.

“I ain’t quite there yet,” Bill retorted.

“Bill, I trust them.” The Baroness stated. “I was there. I saw the portal, I watched the others go back. These three decided to stay. Their story is true, they are Joes from another dimension.”

“Alexia--”

Dustin’s shout interrupted any further discussion. “Incoming!”

“Quickly Bill! You know what you need to do.”

Bill turned to the woman. “Yes,” he said simply. Without warning he raised his pistol, firing a single shot into the Baroness’ arm.

“What the hell!?” Grunt cried. “Bill, are you insane? She’s on our side!”

Clutch moved to help her, but she shoved him away. “No,” The Baroness’ voice quavered in pain as she held her arm. “He had to, no other way to cover the escape. Hit me on the head, then go!”

Clutch blinked, then calmly struck her across the back of her head with his rifle butt. “I don’t like this, but it’s different rules than from home,” he muttered as she slumped to the ground.

“Let’s move it! On the double!” Bill barked. Quickly the team gathered up, Bill taking Mark and handing his pack to Jeb. “Good luck,” he called softly to the inert form. “Tell my wife I love her.” He watched as Clutch picked Cammy up, cradling her in his arms. They took off and disappeared into the forest.

* * * * * * * *

The room smelled of greenery and fresh water. The sounds of a trickling waterfall echoed in the background as Lieutenant MacKay entered his employer’s sanctuary. He was one of the few that even knew of the room’s existence within Lord Destro’s home. Even Cobra Commander himself had not been privileged enough to enter the sanctuary. He could hear the sounds of splashing and knew his Lordship was enjoying his daily swim. He stopped at the edge of the pool and waited stood at attention.

“At ease. Yes Lieutenant?” Destro acknowledged after the man had stood for several minutes in the humid room.

“Forgive me for disturbing you, Lord Destro,” he apologized as he bowed. “There has been an escape.”

Destro lazily floated in the water. “Really? How unfortunate. I trust no one was too badly injured?”

This was not the response MacKay had expected. “The Baroness and her assistant were both injured during the escape, your Lordship. And several Crimson Guardsmen and troopers were killed.”

“And the prisoner?”

“Gone, sir. It appears there was a party waiting in the woods.”

“Pity,” Destro chuckled to himself. “The Baroness plays this game better than I thought.”

“Sir?” Puzzlement clearly showed on the man’s now sweating face.

“A simple game of chess Lieutenant. It appears that it is now my move.”

* * * * * * * *

Mark felt as if he had been dragged through hell by a herd of wild horses. _And I probably look it too._ He winced as he stretched out aching muscles and tried to settle into a more comfortable position on the bed. The team had arrived at one of the resistance member’s home early that morning and was now taking the risk to catch their breath and treat Cammy’s injury and to let him rest. He couldn’t remember much about the escape aside from seeing the face of a dead man at one point and thinking that he had suffered the same fate. For a few minutes after waking in a real bed, in a real room of an actual intact house, clean and warm, he was positive he was dead. He could hear voices outside his room and even recognized one or two of them. Had they followed him to the other side? However, Mark then realized that dead men were not suppose to hurt like he did, and surmised he was still very much alive. It was the face that appeared in the doorway that caused his heart to leap, and firmly grounded him in the land of the living.

“Clair?” He weakly reached out and felt her grip his hand in her own.

“Shhhh.” She brushed a strand of hair from his face. “I’m here and we’re safe now.” She gently laid her head on his chest. “Just sleep.”

“But I swear I was dead. I even saw Lance....”

“I’ll explain everything once you rest. I promise.”

He closed his eyes and let the darkness take him, more than willing to obey.

Clutch watched the pair from the doorway, before reaching to quietly close the door and give them some privacy. He let out a long sigh. Love still flourished in this bleak world, under the direst of conditions. Sometimes, he realized, that was the only thing to keep one going.

He moved down the hall, nodding to the woman whose home hid the refugees. She had just come from another room, where Cammy had been settled in after enduring the pain of exploration and cleansing of her gunshot wound. He knocked softly on the half closed door.

“How is she?” Clutch asked, keeping his voice low.

Bill waved him in from the chair he occupied by the girl’s bed. “She’ll be fine as long as the wound doesn’t get infected. It was a clean straight through.” The Joe paused and gazed at his daughter for a moment before saying, “I wanted to thank ya. When I saw that CeeGee come out of nowhere and I couldn’t get to her--”

Clutch held up a hand. “No thanks needed, but how about a little trust now?”

Bill snorted, but stood and reached a hand out which Clutch gripped. “Trust ain’t handed out ‘round here…”

“Yeah I know. It’s earned.”

“You’ve earned mine.” He was thoughtful a minute. “Another dimension huh? What was it like there? Am I there?”

Clutch nodded. “Oh yeah. And you’re the same hardheaded bastard there. But my world is as different as night and day.”

“Daddy?” Cammy stirred and her eyes looked up to the two men.

“Yeah sugar?”

“We heading back to base? We gotta get Steeler...” She started.

Bill glanced at Clutch. “We’re already got that planned. Ya don’t worry about it.”

Cammy closed her eyes again and let out a deep breath. “Then we head for home?”

“Home?” Lance questioned.

“Where we’re headquartered. We’ll regroup and get our new orders. I’m sure lots of people will be interested in ya and Grunt, seein’ how you’re suppose t’ be dead.” Bill once again sat down in the chair, and stoked Cammy’s brown hair. “She looks so much like her mama.”

Lance leaned up against a dresser, crossing his ankles. “I guess I get to meet the rest of the survivors.”

Cammy’s eye’s popped open and she gasped, as if a great epiphany had taken place. “Daddy... what about Beth?”

Bill’s hand went still and he stared blankly straight ahead for several minutes before blinking. He turned his head slightly to look at the Joe who was curiously studying him from his spot. The scene of utter anguish that had nearly caused the woman to take her own life replayed in his mind. How would she take this?

“Who’s Beth?” Clutch asked quietly.

Bill stood and faced him. “Bethany. Bethany Steinberg... is Lance’s wife.”


	5. Comes the Horsemen

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_When I go back again  
Will it be the same?  
I've stopped the cries  
But now they know my name_

_The sea is calling me  
my spirit must return  
As I get closer,  
was it really worth  
what I have learned?_

_I'm in the valley  
And the saddened chimes I hear  
Race toward the wall to find  
one more name appears._

_No one is left now  
my one and only land  
I laugh at what I've done  
I am the Killing Hand.  
 **V. Exodus: The killing hand: By: Dream Theater/Petrucci** _

* * * * * * * * 

Daybreak, that single moment between night and day…shadow and light…nightmares and hope, when the silence of the world increases it’s hold and for a brief second all is still. It is a time when minds and bodies that are weary of fighting reach out and hope, that perhaps, when they open their eyes the nightmare that has become the world will be just that, a nightmare. But ever so slowly, as the sun reaches over the horizon, and begins shedding it’s dim light upon the battered grounds below it, reality again returns to the land and that single, blissful moment of hope is lost.   
  
Asia Fairborne stood silent and watched as her father tossed restlessly in his sleep. She knew what nightmare gripped his mind, for it was the same one that tore its iron claws through her soul night after night. The only difference being she had actually witnessed the horrors of the dream with her innocent eyes. She could still hear her mother’s shouts of defiance at the man that had burst into the bunker, the sharp report of the gunshots. The sight of her mother in a pool of blood, with the man in the silver mask gloating over her mother, blood’s dark sweet aroma was burned into her memory. As was the sight of her father clutching his wife’s body to him in agony as she and the other children were herded off to safety in a frantic rush. The innocence of her brief childhood ended, shattered like a mirror into a million shards in a single, instant act of violence.   
  
Since that day she had been silent.   
  
She listened as her father muttered in his sleep, and with slow, laborious footsteps, supported by the canes she inched close enough to gently shake him from his dreams.   
  
The soft hand that touched his bare shoulder was enough to drag Flint back from the nightmare. He opened his eyes and smiled when he focused onto a pair of honey-amber eyes watching him. “Hey Mouse.” His voice was raspy and sleep filled. “Did I wake you?”   
  
She shook her head, sending her long brown hair tumbling over her shoulder. She cocked her head slightly to ask a silent question.   
  
Flint smiled as he stretched sleep-stiffened muscles. “I’m fine. Just that same old nightmare again.” He watched as Asia quirked an eyebrow at him in disbelief and allowed himself a small chuckle. _God, she looks like Allie,_ he thought as he remembered that very expression on his wife’s face more than once. “Come here you mouse.” He reached out and pulled her carefully onto the bed beside him, feeling her cuddle close. “Don’t you worry your pretty head about me.” He glanced down at her and brushed the hair from her face. “What do you say to getting dressed and grabbing some breakfast with your old man?”   
  
She nodded against his chest.   
  
Flint gently picked her up and set her on her feet. “Go get ready then.” He watched as she moved from his room, his smile fading once she was out of sight. He wearily ran a hand through his sleep-rumpled hair as he again felt the weight of the world settle on his shoulders. _I don’t know if I can keep going Allie. If I lose her too…_ He could hear Asia moving quietly about in the outer cave of their quarters, and felt a familiar fear grip his heart. One day, those soft movements would be gone from his life and that the silence that would replace them would be unbearable. He rose from his bed and with a quick glance in the mirror that hung on his far wall, made certain that the mask that had become his daily face was in place before moving to the outer room to join his daughter. 

* * * * * * * * 

“I swear,” Cammy growled through clenched teeth, “you’re hitting every damn pothole in the road.”   
  
“Sorry kid, hard not to when there’s more of them than road,” Clutch apologized as he snuck a glance at his passenger. She was trying hard not to show how much pain she was truly in, but from the way her face paled and her muscles tightened with every little jostle of the cycle, Clutch knew she must be in agony from the wound. They had rested only two days before Bill had ordered them to move out, not nearly enough time for Mark or Cammy to recover. However it wasn’t safe to lay in wait for Cobra to figure out where they were. So it was on the pothole-filled road that dawn had found them on the third day. “How much further?”   
  
Cammy looked about at her surroundings. “Soon, unless we run into a patrol.” She tried to settle into a more comfortable position in the small sidecar.   
  
“Cammy? How old were you?”   
  
“What?” The question took her off guard.   
  
Clutch turned slightly to avoid another hole. “When all this happened.”   
  
She fell silent for a moment and chewed at her bottom lip, a habit Clutch had begun to recognize as her making a hard decision. “You don’t have to tell if you don’t want to,” he added.   
  
“No,” she sighed, “It’s alright. I was thirteen when it happened.” She turned away, hoping he didn’t notice her wipe away a tear. “It was early morning, Daddy and the boys were out in the far pasture getting the cattle in. Mama and me were in the house.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “My older brother, B.J., he was in the barn when they came. Mama told me to run and find Daddy. But I couldn’t move, I just stood there and watched while the troopers set fire to everything. I... I couldn’t move.”   
  
“Really, ya don’t have to…”   
  
Shuddering, she didn’t hear him and continued. “B.J. came runnin’ out of the barn. I can still see that trooper swinging ‘round and takin’ aim at him, hear mama’s screams, watched as he jerked then fell as the bullet tore through him.” She fell silent for a moment. “I don’t remember much after that, it all happened so fast. Mama grabbed me and forced me to run. Daddy found us after nightfall hiding in our old huntin’ cabin.”   
  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to drag up bad memories.”   
  
“It’s okay.” She brushed away another stray tear before turning back to face Clutch. “B.J. should have been out with Daddy that morning, but his horse threw a shoe. That’s the only reason he was in the barn. But we were lucky. Most families on the purge list didn’t survive at all.”   
  
Confusion crossed his face. “The purge list?”   
  
“Yeah. Cobra took out anyone they considered a threat to their rule.” She rotated her shoulder, wincing as she pulled the stitches on her wound. “Politicians, town leaders, military leaders, and the Joes.”   
  
“Sweet Jesus. Whole families?” As Cammy nodded, he grunted, “Figures. Cobra’d do that. Kill innocent kids, civilians. How'd some of ya survive?”   
  
“Some were warned in time, others like my family, were plain lucky.” She felt a chill run up her back.   
  
“This how they solidified their power?”   
  
“Yeah, those who spoke out disappeared. They had complete control of America and Canada in a matter of months, cause for the most part there wasn’t any one left to stop them.”   
  
“How'd they get control of the rest of the world?”   
  
“Lets just say they weren't opposed to using some of the more elaborate weapons in the arsenal”   
  
Clutch stared at the girl in shock for a moment before pulling his attention back to the road. “Nuked ‘em?”   
  
She shook her head, wincing slightly. “No, biological. They released the fever and that did most of their work for ‘em.”   
  
“The nasty bug Steeler’s got? There’s no cure?”   
  
“If there is, Cobra ain’t sharin’ it with us.” She sighed, rubbing her temples. “It’s just been recently that the Baroness has gotten us what little medications we have.   
  
“Then how in the world are some survivin’?”   
  
“Natural immunity, I suppose, and some actually live through the fever itself.” She glanced up at Clutch, her brown eyes turning near black. “But they’re never the same as before.”   
  
“God, I hope Steeler pulls out.” He glanced ahead to the bike that carried his friend.   
  
Cammy followed his line of vision. “I think he'll be fine, he got treatment pretty early, that’s what’s important.” She swiped at another stray tear. “When we first started getting sick, we didn't know, and we lost a lot of people that first year.” She paused as she squinted her eyes ahead. “Slow down, this is our turn.”   
  
“You sure?” Clutch asked even though he began reducing speed and followed the others off the road. They came to a stop in the shadow of a large bluff. “There’s nothing out here but sand, more sand and, uh…a semi-automatic rifle pointed at my head.” He slowly raised his hands out from his body as Cammy gingerly got out of the sidecar.   
  
“Vena, no.” She pulled the muzzle away from Clutch’s head. “He’s a friend.”   
  
The girl simply shrugged and reslung her rifle over her shoulder. “Uncle Charlie is waiting just beyond the bluff.” She turned her attention to Bill, who had walked up. “Hide your bikes in the usual spot. We’re to take you to the outer supply caves.”   
  
Bill looked confused for a moment, then suspicious. “Why there? My orders were to report to Duke directly.”   
  
“Them.” She nodded towards Clutch, Grunt, and Steeler. “And you’ll still report to Duke directly.” She turned and started down a dirt path.   
  
“Now wait a sec,” Clutch grabbed the girl’s shoulder and swung her around. “We got wounded here. We can’t just go walking out into the desert.”   
  
Vena calmly looked down at his hand, and he removed it. “Did I say anything about walking?” She looked back up and arched a dark brown eyebrow at him.   
  
“But you said…”   
  
“I know what I said.” She glanced behind Clutch to Bill. “We’re running low on time. They changed the orbit again.”   
  
Bill nodded and gathered his team. “Don’t worry Clutch.” He handed the man a pack. “It’s security protocol. Jeb, help with Steeler.”   
  
Clutch shrugged and shouldered his pack before grabbing the one Cammy was attempting to lift. “I don’t think so, kid.”   
  
“I ain’t a baby ya know,” She muttered as she shifted her arm in its sling. “I’ve…”   
  
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Clutch plopped her hat on her head. “You’ve ran a marathon with one leg cut off. You’ve beaten a battalion of Cobras with one hand tied behind your back…” he chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him.   
  
She glared as she walked past. “Anyone ever tell ya you’re a smart ass?”   
  
“On at least a million occasions, kid.”   
  
“Lets move,” Bill’s voice cut the teasing short. “We’ve got a schedule to keep.” 

* * * * * * * * * 

The sharp prodding of a gun barrel jerked Michael from sleep. He opened his eyes to find the boy standing there, a scowl on his face as he regarded the Cobra. “Get up.”

 _“I’ll take care of him Shane”_ Snake-Eyes signed as he came over. Y _ou go help get the supplies ready.”_ The boy nodded, shouldered his rifle and moved off into the bushes.

Sneering, Michael regarded his silent keeper. “So do I get room service this morning?” Snake-Eyes pulled the man to his feet and pointed towards the trees. “Yeah, yeah,” the Cobra grumbled as he slowly headed towards the spot the Joe had motioned to. “Nothing better than watering the trees.” He moved a little faster when Timber nipped at his heels.

Mac glanced up from putting out the small campfire when he heard the kids heading back into the camp. “Ready?” he asked Savannah as he poured water over the smoldering fire.

“Yup, all packed and we put the last of the fuel in the tanks.” She glanced over her shoulder at the Cobra. “Do you want me to dose him?”

“Not yet,” Mac stood and brushed the dust from his pants. “Be easier if we put it in his food, I’m thinking. I’ll handle it.” The girl nodded and went to finishing the pack up. Mac turned back to the now dead fire and dished up a small plate of stew that had been left over from their dinner the night before. Removing a small bottle from his jacket pocket, he sprinkled a small amount of powder over the food, making sure to mix it in well. “Here.” He handed the plate to the surly man when Snake-Eyes brought him over. “You’ve got two minutes to eat.”

“Or?”

“Or I shove it down your throat.”

Michael reluctantly dug into the cold stew, eating as quickly as he could without choking. Once finished, he tossed the plate to the ground in contempt. “Do I get dessert next?”

Mac ignored the man’s snide remark. “Get him ready to move, Snake-Eyes.” He glanced up, checking the position of the setting sun. “We move out in five minutes.” The silent man nodded and pulled the Cobra up by an arm and Mac watched as the Cobra stumbled slightly. The drug was already taking effect.

“Low-Light, we need to talk.” Recondo spoke as he came up behind the sniper.

“About?” He didn’t turn around, but continued to clear the campsite of any sign that the Joes had been there.

Recondo stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “There’s some concern about you and Shane.”

The sniper’s blue eyes narrowed. “That’s none of your damn business.” He warned, his voice low and menacing.

“It is when it comes to the safety of my team.” Recondo snapped back, standing his ground.

Low-Light pushed roughly past the jungle trooper and continued his rounds. “We do our jobs, that’s what’s important.” He paused, catching Recondo’s eye for a moment. “And don’t worry, the only one he’d love to see dead is me”

 _Yeah, and that’s what scares the hell out of me Mac,_ el thought as he watched the sniper walk away.

* * * * * * * * 

“I trust the wound is not too troublesome?” Destro asked as he placed the crystal decanter back on the sideboard. He sipped casually of the Port he had just poured as he watched his visitor with interest. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. He walked back to his desk and pulled a file folder open that rested on the blotter, calmly waiting for an answer. “Come now Miss McCorbin, I don’t bite.”

“It’s fine sir,” she answered softly. She felt a chill run down her spine as he smiled.

“Excellent.” He tapped the file in front of him with a finger. “I however did not request this meeting for pleasantries. There are several questions I would like answered, Miss McCorbin.”

She felt her hands go cold. “I’ll try sir.” She was surprised her voice was steady… so calm.

The masked man simply nodded. “Why were you at the prison compound that day?”

“The Baroness had orders from the Commander to question the prisoner sir.”

“And you simply accompanied her?”

“I drove her there, per her request.”

He took another sip from his crystal glass. “What is your position exactly?”

“Sir?” She inquired, confused by the question.

He rose, coming around to the front of his large desk and sitting on a corner. “Come now, it’s a simple question. You are a member of the Baroness’s staff are you not?”

She felt her mind racing, trying to figure out where this was going. “Yes sir.”

“Then what is your position title?”

“I’m her head assistant.”

“Is that all?” He leaned forward. “Come Miss McCorbin, let’s stop playing this game. I know there is more to you than a simple assistant. Your skills are too, shall we say, groomed for such a simple occupation.”

“Sir, I am under orders not to discuss my position.”

A feral grin crossed his face. “I am sure we can-”

“Sarah, leave us.” The Baroness’s voice cut through the thick tension, interrupting Destro’s statement. She waited as Sarah slowly rose and limped towards her, stopping the woman as she passed. “Go and check on the new security arrangements please. I expect a full report when I return” She handed her a file folder.

“Yes ma’am.” She walked into the hall and once outside, she quickly flipped open the folder and glanced at a slip of paper with a message.

_Computer was hacked and files searched. He is digging, be ready to move if we have to._

She closed the folder, her face not betraying anything to the guards in the hall. Once out of their sight, she quickly wadded the paper and swallowed it.

* * * * * * * * 

“I would advise,” The Baroness leveled a glared at the man, “that you stop abusing my staff.”

Destro merely chuckled. “You would advise? My dear, you are not in a position to advice or order me to do anything.” He stood from the corner of his desk. “You’re fortunate that I simply questioned her rather than apply other measures.”

She refused to back down. “Why am I under security surveillance? Who ordered it?”

“My dear Alexa, you know very well why you’re being watched.” He moved back to his chair. “I determined it necessary for your safety.”

“I do not need your damned security!” She crossed the room and slammed her fist onto the smooth wood of the desk, sending several items jumping. “I have my own guards!”

He calmly regarded her as he righted a tipped statuette. “ _I_ am head of security my dear, and _I_ will determine who is and is not in need of extra guards.” He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, as he continued to hold her gaze. “However, I could remove the guards, but for a price.”

She crossed her arms and regarded him carefully. “I should of known. What price would that be, Destro?”

“Information.”

Her eyes narrowed. “On who or what?”

“Oh nothing of great value, I assure you.” He flicked a speck of dust off his desk. “I just want to know who Miss McCorbin is working for.”

“If you can’t figure that out, then you are not the man you think you are Destro darling.”

“I am in no mood for your games, Baroness!” he shouted, standing. “She is only your assistant, yet she holds more authority than a someone in that position should!” He stared at her, his eyes cold and menacing. “I want to know why.”

“It’s simple darling,” she matched his gaze levelly, a cold smile on her face. “Because she is more.” She turned moving towards the door, then paused. “But then, you already knew that, didn’t you?”

He watched as she exited, sitting and leaning back in his chair again. “Oh my dear, you play this game very well indeed.”

* * * * * * * *

The cave was surprisingly empty, for a place that was supposed to hold supplies, or at least it seemed that way to Clutch. Most of the containers that occupied the space were dust-covered or damaged in one way or another. Many carried expiration dates that had long since past. Some failed to show any markings giving the contents away. He had lost track of time after Spirit had brought them to the cave and told them to wait. Clutch smiled to himself, the Native American was just like the one back home. He hadn’t even batted an eye at the sight of three supposed dead men. He simply loaded them into the worst looking APC Clutch had ever seen, and now they waited, something he was becoming very tired of. He looked to Grunt, who was leaning against a stack of crates labeled “lima beans and ham”. The infantry man shrugged.

“How much longer are they going to leave us standing here?” Clutch finally asked.

Cammy looked up and Bill snorted from the spot he had taken on a crate. “’Til they get here, Pard. We ain’t exactly top priority.” He pulled his hat back over his eyes and leaned back, stretching his legs out. “Just sit tight they’ll be here.”

“Sleeping on the job, Bill?” A woman’s voice spoke from the shadows.

“No ma’am, just resting my eyes.” He tipped his hat back off his forehead. “Where’s Duke?”

Scarlett stepped from the shadows, smiling slightly. “We had another priority situation come up.” She studied Clutch, Grunt and Steeler. “Well, they do look good for ghosts.”

“Red?” Grunt gasped when he spotted the scar that ran across her face. “What happened?” He motioned across his face.

“Long story, but the short version is Cobra.” She settled herself on the edge of a crate. “But I’m not the one who’s come back from the dead. There are a few questions we want answered.”

“There are a few I want answered myself.”

Scarlett turned her eyes towards Clutch. “You still don’t know when shut up, do you grease monkey?”

He snorted. “Sorry missed that the day they taught it in school.”

She laughed lightly. “Well if you are an imposter, you’ve got the smart ass down pat.” She turned her head slightly, nodding to someone just out of sight. “Come on out Lifeline, we’ve got people that need some TLC.”

“I’m surprised Doc ain't here,” Grunt remarked as Lifeline knelt by Steeler.

Scarlett’s smile disappeared. “Bill, how much have you told them?”

“Not a lick actually,” he replied as Ed went over to Mark. “I think most of it they figured out themselves.”

“Okay. Then let me be blunt.” Scarlett brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, gazing levelly at Grunt. “A lot of Joes are dead, I won’t go into who or how. Most of our families are dead or in hiding. In short, don’t ask about who you don’t see.”

Grunt nodded solemnly, “Sorry.”

“Yeah, no problem.” She turned her attention to the medic. “How’s Steeler?”

“He’ll be fine.” Ed answered, a tired smile on his face. “He’s through the worst of it now. Rest is the medicine for him at this point. Cammy, Mark, you two to come with me back to medical also. Grunt, grab the other end of this stretcher and we’ll get him settled.”

“As long as there’s a bed where I can sleep,” Mark joked lightly through his fatigue.

“Ugh!” Cammy groaned. “Ya know I hate it there…”

“Move it kid,” Clutch gently pushed her after Ed. He turned his attention back to Scarlett. “What about me?”

Scarlett was watching as Clair wavered between staying or following Lifeline. “Clair, go with Mark, I’ll take your report later.” Scarlett smiled gently at the younger woman, as relief played over her face. She took Mark’s arm over her shoulder and helped the weary man out. Only then did she turn back to the others. “Grunt will be easy to re-introduce into our midst. He didn’t have and family left behind. You, on the other hand,” she locked Clutch into her icy stare, “pose more of a problem.”

* * * * * * * * 

Like most of the other children, Olivia Steinburg was familiar with the grim reality of the world around her. But unlike many of the others, she seemed to have a sparkle inside of her that blinded her to the misery and death that took place around her on a day-to-day basis. She could enter a room and light it up with her smile, or make it break into laughter with a simple childish giggle. Only seven, she had few memories of what the world was like before they hid themselves in the caves, not that she ever dwelled on the past as some of the others did. She lived in the now, not the then. She had to, to offset her mother’s clinging to the past and the death of her father. Some did find it odd that she was such a cheerful child when she had lost her father at the hands of Cobra and nearly lost her mother to suicide. Despite it all, she was a dreamer in a world of nightmares.

“Libby!” Her older sister, Charlene reprimanded her with a poke in the ribs to regain her attention. “Stop daydreaming, and _help._ ”

Libby stuck her tongue out in reply, then whined, “What we gotta do this for anyway?”

“’Cause Uncle Hector said so,” Charlene explained for the hundredth time. She checked off another item from her list. “So start helping. What’s that crate say?”

“Peaches. And why do we always do what we’re told?” She kicked an empty can across the floor of the supply cave. “This is soooo _boring,_ Charlie.” Libby edged towards the entrance of the cave as her sister ducked behind a barrel looking for it’s identification.

“Would you rather be in classes?” At the silence for a reply, Charlie popped up from behind the barrel. “Hey! Where you going?!” She shouted at the disappearing figure.

“Don’t worry I’ll be back, _laaaaater!_ ”

* * * * * * * * 

“Problem?” Clutch quirked an eyebrow. “And exactly how do I pose a problem?”

Scarlett sighed. “Well you, no our, Clutch has a family.”

“And this is a problem?”

“It’s hard to explain, but in short, your, sorry, I mean his, wife didn’t take the news of his death very well.” She looked to Bill with exasperation on her face. “This is damn hard to keep straight.”

Clutch glanced over at Bill. “Beth?”

The other man nodded.

Shana raised her eyebrows at Bill. “So you didn’t tell him anything, huh?” Bill pulled his hat back over his eyes and chuckled. “Okay, let me rephrase that. So how much did he _not_ tell you?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Just her name and that she was your Clutch’s wife.” He looked from Scarlett to Bill. “Listen, I don’t know what ya expect me…”

“Shhh-“ Scarlett suddenly held up her hand, stalling any further comments. “Bill?”

The cowboy was already on his feet, weapon drawn. “To your left, behind the crates.”

She nodded and motioned for him to come around the opposite side. With a silent signal, they simultaneously swung around the crate. A squeal emitted from the startled girl, and Scarlett frowned. “Libby!”

The girl meekly waved. “Hi Aunt Shana.”

“What are you doing here?” She demanded as she holstered her sidearm. “You’re not supposed to go past the main supply caves!”

“Well I was sort of…umm…you know...”

Shana sighed. “You skipped out on detail again didn’t you?” When the girl nodded, she rubbed at her forehead and started, “Olivia…”

“I know, I know.” Libby seemed to suddenly find the dirt under her feet interesting enough so she didn’t have to meet Scarlett’s eyes. “Who ya talking too?”

“No one.”

“You talking to yourself then??”

Bill laughed lightly. “She’s got ya there, Red.”

“Don’t you have something to do, Bill?” She shot at him as she glared at the man.

“Yes ma’am.” He tipped his hat, “Right away, ma’am.” He disappeared around the stack of crates, failing at suppressing his laughter.

“And as for you,” she looked down at the girl, who smiled sweetly up at her. “If I ever catch you beyond the supply caves again I’ll per--”

“Daddy?” Libby was staring past Scarlett, her chastised look replaced by one of puzzlement.

Scarlett spun around, seeing Clutch standing there. _Great! How do I explain this one to her?!_ “What are you doing here?”

“Making sure there wasn’t a threat, like any good soldier.” He said as he holstered his gun and regarded the child. “Daddy?”

“Oh by the way,” Shana leaned back against the crates and crossed her arms. “Did I mention he had two daughters?”

* * * * * * * * 

They brought the Cobra into the area they used for interrogations, a small cave bordering on claustrophobic. Furnished only with a beaten old wooden table, and two chairs, it was crowded. One chair was an old leather chair that was positioned behind the table, and the other, a sturdy, straight-backed wooden chair. One small candle flickered on the table. They roughly sat him into the latter chair and fastened his cuffs through a heavy metal ring attached to the back of the seat. The positioning of the ring made what would have been a mildly uncomfortable chair into a minor torture device. As his arms were pulled back behind him, his shoulders were bowed and forced into contact with the unyielding wood. His legs were shackled to the legs of the chair and his captors left him there, walking out the door with no more apparent concern than one might show to a dog safely shut in his kennel. The only difference was Shane, who gave him a malicious smile as he left.

Michael couldn’t even remember how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered doing was eating the stew that sniper had given him. Drugged, his mind finally told him when he recognized the bitter aftertaste in his mouth. He took a moment to glance around and found himself alone aside from an unrecognizable lump in one of the many shadows. As he tested his restraints and found them secure, the lump stirred slightly at his actions and let out a low menacing growl. He had no notion of how long he sat there alone, but it felt like hours before three people walked into the cave, only causing it to close in more. With the entry of the three, the dark lump morphed into a large Rottweiler and trotted over to sit at the feet of one of the men, who absently scratched its ears.

“Oh gee,” Michael’s sarcasm bounced off the walls. “All this attention for little me? And from a bunch of people that are supposed to be dead even.”

One of the men snorted. “You’ve got a smart mouth don’t you?”

Michael sneered, “And I ain’t talking.”

“Who said we wanted you to?” Duke asked as he stepped forward and leaned nonchalantly against the table. He pulled out a canteen and took a swig of water from it.

Michael suddenly realized how thirsty he was and licked his dry lips. “How about a swig of that?”

Duke passed the canteen to Flint, who took a long draw. “What’s the matter? You thirsty? How about if you answer a question, we give you some water?”

His throat burned at the offer of a drink, and he cursed. “Drink first.”

“No deal,” Flint came up behind the Cobra after handing the canteen back to Duke. “You talk first then you drink.” He leaned down and whispered in Michael’s ear. “Come on, you’ve gotta be thirsty. Been sitting here without a drop of water.” He watched Duke take another drink. “Just talk, then you can have all the water you want.”

“Forget it Joe boy. I ain’t spilling nothing.”

Flint simply shrugged. “That’s too bad, I guess we can leave you here to rot for a bit then.”

“We can be reasonable if you tell us what we want to know.” Duke swirled the canteen in front of Michael. “All you need to do is tell us.”

“Come on I know you want a drink.” Flint whispered. “Tell us why the patrols have increased.”

“Fuck you”

“Wrong answer.” Duke handed the canteen to Mutt who poured some of the water on the floor in front of him for Junkyard. The dog greedily lapped up the puddle, then licked his chops with his pink tongue, his face settling in the approximation of a doggy grin.

“Just tell us.” Flint continued to whisper in Michael’s ear.

Michael just laughed, ignoring the pangs of thirst. “What the hell do you care anyway? Not like you Joe’s are going to be alive much longer.” His grin was malevolent. “Not with the fever eating you alive.”

Duke quickly flashed a look at Flint to forestall any rash actions, such as a fist slamming into the Cobra. “How do you know it’s even effecting us? Maybe we found a cure for it.”

“Not likely! Destro’s the only one with a cure.” He laughed. “All the poor Joes out here are dying and I hear it’s really killing off your brats, although not fast enough for my taste.”

“Shut up you fucking bastard!” Flint’s hand slammed into Michael’s head sending the man’s neck snapping painfully to the side. He grabbed the man’s hair and forced his head back. “You leave the kids outta this! Now TALK!”

The Cobra’s eyes narrowed as he spit in Flint’s face in defiance. “Aww…did I hit a sore spot?” He taunted.

“Not a sore as the spot the bullet....”

“Flint!” Duke’s strong hand stopped the reach for Flint’s sidearm. “Enough!” Brown eyes met blue and for a moment the tension in the room was thick as a fog. “Mutt, watch him. I’ll be back.” He motioned for Flint to precede him out of the cave.

Flint shot one last hateful glare before complying.

“What the hell are you thinking?” He asked once they had moved far enough away so not to be heard.

Flint paced, his face red from anger. “Don’t Duke.” Flint’s eyes narrowed. “You have no idea what it feels like.”

“No idea?” Duke grabbed the other man’s shirt. “No idea?! You are not the _only_ person here that’s lost someone Flint!” He shoved the other man against the cold stone wall. “Your not the one giving the orders to fill _more_ fucking graves. How much blood is on your hands Flint?”

“Duke…”

Duke locked Flint in a cold stare from his blue eye. “Get this through your head _now_ Flint. We move on because we have to. We mourn and bury the dead later.”

Flint tore his shirt from Duke’s grip. “Yeah like you buried the Joes left behind and buried Justin?!” The fist sent Flint slamming back against the wall. Flint rubbed his jaw, feeling the pain. “Yeah, truth hurts don’t it Hauser? You left them behind, and they weren’t even dead yet, remember? You never gave me chance to give Allie a proper burial! And then led the rest of us to this damn hell hole that’s killing us one by one!”

“I didn’t have a choice, and you know it! It was save a the ones I could or kill everyone!”

Flint snorted in disgust. “There’s always a choice Duke. You just made the wrong one.” He started to walk away, then turned and added, “And we’ve been paying for it with our lives.”

* * * * * * * * * 

“Flint!” Dusty shouted at the former warrant officer, jumping slightly to the left to avoid running over Shane. “Flint! Wait a sec!”

Flint ignored the other man, continuing his stalking down the passageway towards the living quarters.

“Damn it Flint! It’s Asia!”

He stopped and spun so abruptly that he nearly stumbled into the wall. “What?” He could feel the panic hit him full in the chest before Dusty caught up to him.

“Ed told me to find ya,” he gasped, out of breath. “Asia passed out…”

Dusty never finished as Flint shoved past him, tearing back down the passage towards medical. Only one thought in his mind: _No! Not now! I can’t lose her now!_ He ran, ignoring the stares of the others in the passageways as he forcefully brushed past them. He didn’t even take the time to see if Dusty followed or not. He reached the medical cavern and threw the curtain aside, quickly glancing about and spotting Ed at a bed near the other end of the cave.

“Dash.” Ella stopped him mid-step with a hand to his chest. “Give Ed a minute to assess her.”

He looked down at the petite woman with irrationality in his eyes. It took every bit of discipline not to shove her out of his way. “Let me by, Ella.”

She shook her head. “No go solider. You’ll just get in the way.”

“Like hell.” He tried to shove past her only to be blocked again before he got three steps further.

She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll sedate you if you give me any problems Dashiel Fairborne, and don’t think I won’t do it.” She pointed back to the waiting area. “Now go. Ed will be out in a minute to talk to you.”

“Damn it, Ella that’s my daughter!”

“I am well aware of that Flint, and Lifeline can not do his job if you’re breathing down his neck!” She pointed again. “Now out! Or should I have Dusty help you?” She nodded to the other Joe who finally caught up.

Flint clenched his fists at his side, “Move before I move you Ella,” he growled.

“Enough!” Ed’s voice was untypically harsh as he cut in. “Ella, please go sit with Asia. Dash, you come with me.” He grabbed the other man’s arm leading him back into one of the exam areas. “What the hell are you doing Dash?” he demanded once they were out of sight.

“Trying to see my daughter!”

“By threatening my staff?” Ed leaned back against the exam table, his anger evident on his face. “Not the best way to get on my good side.”

Flint ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, I’ll apologize to her later. Right now I want to know what’s wrong with my daughter!” He slammed his clenched fist into a cabinet sending several items to the floor.

Ed quirked an eyebrow. “I suggest you calm down first, because you’re not seeing her until you are.”

“Ed, please,” he pleaded. “Tell me.”

The medic slowly picked up the items and placed them back into the cabinet and regarded Flint with a tired, hopeless stare. “She’s dying Flint. Her heart’s starting to go.” He placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I can’t do anything else for her.”

Flint stood silent, his mind racing, his body tense. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath a ferocious battle within his self. _He can’t help her anymore…_ the Cobra’s words echoed in his mind. _Destro’s the only one with a cure._ He opened his eyes, decision made.

“Flint?” Ed called as he pushed past the medic and returned to the treatment room eerily calm. He walked over to Asia’s bed. “Flint?” he asked again, right behind him.

“She looks so peaceful.” He whispered as he smiled tenderly down at his daughter. “So much like Allie.” He reached out and stroked her hair.

Ed shook his head at Ella as she reached for the alarm buzzer. “Flint? Why don’t you go get some sleep. I’ll stay with her,” the medic offered.

“No,” he looked up at Ed. “I won’t leave her.” His eyes locked with the other man’s. “You can’t help her.” It was a statement, not a question. Flint bent over, gathering Asia within the blankets to him. Carefully lifting her from the bed, he warned, “Don’t try to stop me Lifeline.” He slowly walked past the medic.

“Where are you going?”

He stopped for a moment, looking down at his sleeping daughter. “To make a pact with the devil,” he whispered as he disappeared into the shadows of the passageway.

“Ed?”

“No. Let him go, Ella.” He shook his head sadly at the retreating figure. “Just let him go.”

* * * * * * * * 

Bethanie Steinburg was one the others referred to as a “living causality of war”. She had locked herself away mentally from the world the day her husband was pronounced MIA. In time, she attempted to join him, even her daughters had not been enough to force her to desire to stay in the world. She had no recollection of just how long she laid there, doing nothing to stop the flow of blood pulsing with each beat of her broken heart from her slashed wrists. Somehow, they had found her before she could slip into oblivion. She had cursed them…fought and begged them to just let her go. However, they didn’t, forcing her to live, forcing her to remain in an existence that was empty without her husband. So she lived, if only in the sense that she still drew breath and her heart still beat, still bearing the ragged scars upon her wrists. Outside of her own grief Beth took little notice her surroundings, including her own children. To her they were a reminder of what she lost, a constant memory of the pain that stabbed through her with every childish laugh.

“Mommy?” Libby’s soft voice came from the curtained entry.

Beth moved slightly, but did not acknowledge the child. “Leave her alone, Libby!” Charlene roughly whispered as she yanked her sister back and pulled the curtain closed. “You know mom doesn’t like us in there.”

“But I have to tell her something!” She protested, pulling her arm from her sister and pushing through the curtain.

“Olivia!” Charlie dived for her hand, missing it by an inch.

“Mommy?” Libby stood tiptoe to reach the lump huddled on the bed and tentatively touched Beth’s arm. The woman pulled her arm away, not noticing the tears in her daughter’s eyes at the wordless rejection. “Mommy? Please look at me.”

Charlie came up behind her sister and wrapped an arm around her. “Come on, Libby. She doesn’t want us here.” She turned to lead the younger girl away.

“But she needs to know I saw him Charlie!”

“Who?”

“Daddy!”

Charlene stopped mid-step. She glared down at her sister and her voice was tense as she accused, “You did not. Don’t Olivia, that’s not something to joke about.”

Libby looked back at their mother, whose eyes now seemed to focus on the two girls. “It’s true Charlie! He’s here.”

“Dad’s dead Libby,” she whispered harshly. “Stop pretending.”

“I ain’t pretending!” She tore her hand from her sister’s grasp. “I saw him, he’s alive!” She ran back to the bed. “You hear that mommy? Daddy’s alive.”

Beth remained still as a stone, but her eyes were beginning to clear.

“Please mommy, he’s back!” She shook her mother.

“Stop it Libby!” Charlie grabbed the girl from behind and pushed her away from the bed to the center of the cavern. “He’s dead!”

Behind them, Beth stirred and pulled herself upright, and slid off the bed, her legs unsteady. Both girls froze and stared as she walked past them without a glance. Both quickly followed her out into the common area.

“Mama?” Charlie’s voice was a disbelieving whisper.

Beth looked to Libby. “Show me.”

Neither could remember the last time their mother had spoken to them and it took a moment before Libby ran up and grabbed her mother’s hand with a smile. “Come on Mommy, I’ll show ya.”

* * * * * * * * 

A silence descended upon the dinning crowd when she entered, even the youngest child felt the change and fell quiet. She walked forward, Libby pulling her hand slightly as they moved through the crowd of people that parted for them.

“Scarlett!” Bill hissed urgently as he tapped her on the shoulder and pointed.

She turned, her eyes going wide at the sight. “Shit…” She quickly glanced over at Clutch. “Is Ed around?”

“Yeah, and already on the case.” Bill answered as he saw the medic pushing through towards them.

Clutch looked from Bill to this woman that was now not more than five feet away from them. “Something I should know about?” He asked quietly.

Shana hoped the next word she said would answer his question. “Beth,” Shana smiled gently at the woman, “it’s wonderful to see you out.”

“See Mommy,” Libby smiled up at the woman. “Told you.”

Beth let go of her daughter’s hand and took an unsteady step towards Clutch, her eyes never leaving his face. With a shaking hand she reached out and touched his bearded jaw.

Clutch smiled unsurely at the petite woman in front of him. “Hello Beth,” he murmured.

Libby looked over at her sister. “I told ya so Charlie.”

“It ain’t him.” Charlie crossed her arms and glared at the man. “My dad’s dead.”

Beth ignored all of them, her vision locked onto the face of the ghost before her. “Lance?” She whispered.

Clutch looked at Scarlett out of the corner of his eye, and she nodded. “Yeah, I’m Lance.”

“Lance…” Her hands caressed his cheek, her eyes never leaving his. “Alive…I nev-”

He barely managed to catch her in time as she fainted into unconsciousness. “Ed?!” He shouted as he lowered Beth to the floor and cradled her in his arms.

“She’ll be fine,” Ed said after checking her pulse quickly. “She just needs to rest somewhere quiet. This is a big shock for her, you shouldn’t of-”

Shana cut him off. “We didn’t plan it this way, believe me.”

“Lead the way.” Clutch tenderly lifted her in his arms and followed Ed.

* * * * * * * * 

“Sir.” Lieutenant MacKay stood at attention awaiting his Lord’s order to be at ease.

Destro acknowledged the Viper with a wave of his hand. “What is it Lieutenant?” He asked as he placed his fork on the edge of his plate.

“There is apparently a man at the outer gate sir, requesting an audience with you.”

“Oh really?” He took a sip of wine from his stem-glass. “Send him away.”

“Sir, he says he has information about the Joes.”

“Does he now?” Destro sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in thought. “Well, let’s humor him in that case. Allow him in, Lieutenant MacKay.”

Flint followed the Viper through the large oak doors that opened into an immense cavern of a entrance hall. The hooded cloak concealed his face and he clutched Asia closer, pulling the blankets more securely around her to fight off the chill that seemed to encase the mansion. He glanced down to see her brown eyes looking up at him, filled with fear. He smiled reassuringly to keep her from feeling his own fear that squeezed at his heart like a vice. “It’s okay Mouse,” He soothed.

The Viper turned. “Lord Destro will see you now.” He tugged another set of large oak doors open, revealing a large dining room. A long table stretched the length of the room, lined with many chairs. At the head, his mask flashing in the light from the chandelier, sat the one man who could save his daughter. Flint threw back his hood.

“Well. Well. Well,” Destro leaned back in his chair, a smile crossing his face. “I see the rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated, Flint. It leaves me to wonder,” he thoughtfully stroked his chin, “how many others are still alive?”

“I didn’t come here to carry on a conversation, Destro.” He shifted Asia in his arms.

“Very well,” he leaned forward. “I assume she is in the later stages. Perhaps even already exhibiting the early stages of heart failure?”

Flint’s eyes narrowed, “How did you...?”

“My dear Flint,” Destro purred. “I designed the virus. I am well aware of what it can do.” He stood, moving around the table to stand before the Joe. “I can save your daughter. For a price.”

“What price?”

His answer was simple. “The Joes.” His eyes flashed hungrily.

Flint looked down at Asia. Her eyes were closed, and her skin had begun to take on a blue tinge as she gasped for breath. “How do I know you can cure her? How do I know I can trust you?” He demanded.

Destro laughed softly. “You don’t, but perhaps a demonstration of what I can do for her will help.” He motioned to the Viper. “MacKay, please go on ahead to the lab and retrieve a vile of RT-259 from the storage facility.”

“Yes my Lord.” He saluted smartly and was gone.

“Follow me, Flint.” Destro swept past Flint who complied.

“I won’t sell out my friends Destro.”

“Pity,” he said over his shoulder as the walked down a hallway. “It would be a shame to have the cure at your fingertips and still have your only child die.”

Flint glanced down again, panic rising. “If I help, you have to spare the civilians and the children.”

“Of course Flint, of course.” He hid a smile as he opened a set of double doors to reveal a laboratory. “Ahh, excellent MacKay, thank you. Set her on the table Flint. She must be getting heavy.” He took the vile and a syringe from the Viper and proceeded to draw the greenish liquid into the syringe. “But to show my good intentions I’ll give her a dose now.”

“I need to think…” The Joe wavered, setting Asia down.

“Of course you do.” Destro unbundled the girl, exposing her. She barely stirred at the cool air, her breathing labored. He waited as Flint’s eyes stared at his daughter. “I am losing my patience Flint. Choose. Your daughter or the Joes.”

The answer was barely a whisper. “My daughter.”

“You chose well, Flint.” Destro grabbed Asia’s arm, pushing the needle into her skin. Her eyes shot open and a small whimper to escaped her blueish lips.

“You bastard, you could have been more gentle!” Flint was by her side in an instant. “Asia?” He tried to assess her condition. “Mouse?”

“She’ll be fine, Flint.” Destro walked to a counter and set the syringe on it, and took a small object from Lieutenant MacKay. “It will take a few hours for it to begin to work.” He returned to the table where Flint was protectively rebundling Asia and set the homing device at Flint’s hand. “Take it, and you walk out of here alive. Leave it, and both of you die.”

Slowly he picked it up, hesitating before slipping it into his pocket. “You’ll spare them. The civilians and the kids.”

“You have my word.” He turned and began to walk from the lab. “Now leave. I am tired of your presence and my dinner grows cold.”

* * * * * * * * 

She came up from the darkness slowly, her senses beginning to take in the sounds around her. The sound of someone breathing softly beside her. The distant sounds of people. Her mind replayed before her eyes, seeing her husband once again, living, breathing... she opened her eyes to find him sleeping lightly in the chair beside the cot she occupied. _It can’t be him, he’s dead... isn’t he?_ Beth watched the man as he snored softly and mumbled in his sleep. She smiled, remembering that habit and how often she had to wake him. She sighted heavily and startled when she looked again and found his eyes watching her.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

He smiled, an expression she knew so well. “Good, ya scared me there for a second.”

“You’re not him, are you.” It wasn’t a question. Something inside of her told her he wasn’t her husband.

He shook his head sadly. “No, I’m not.”

She closed her eyes, fighting the burning tears. “He’s really dead isn’t he?”

“I’m sorry. I... I found him when I first arrived here.”

“Why?” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “What good did it do?”

“I don’t know, Beth. All I know is I stayed behind with my buddies to try an’ help. I never knew that he had you and the girls. I didn’t stay to hurt you. I swear.”

“Please.... leave me alone.” She rolled over on the cot and whimpered softly.

Clutch stood and hesitated for a moment before making a decision. Slowly sitting on the edge of the cot, he carefully wrapped her into his embrace.

“No…you’re not him…you’re not him....” she cried into his chest. He didn’t let her go, but held her, offering what no one else could.

Himself.

* * * * * * * * 

“I don’t understand it Duke.” Ed sighed as he looked up from the antique microscope and rubbed his tired eyes. “Two days ago I wouldn’t have given her another week.”

“And now?”

“Now, there’s evidence that her immune system is killing the virus.”

Duke rubbed his chin in thought. “Something’s wrong. Flint disappears, and comes back with Asia suddenly fighting the virus?”

Ed nodded. “That’s pretty much it, Duke.”

“Thanks Ed. Keep an eye on her, and call me if there are any changes,” he ordered as he left, deep in thought. _What the hell did you do Flint? And why do I have a feeling it’s going to cost us more than anything has yet?_

* * * * * * * * 

Nightfall, that single moment between day and night, when the shadows slowly fall and hide the scars of the world from the weary eyes of those forced to eke out an existence that most wished would end. It is a time when dreams begin…hope is reborn…and choices are made. Survive or die? Fight or submit? Loyalty or betrayal? In an instant as the sun teetered upon the edge of the horizon, one man held the future of the living in his hands. He stood alone on the cliff, his mind a jumble of thoughts- each one tripping over the other- he calmly caressed the device he held in his hand. The metal was smooth against the skin of his palm. He had to only make a simple choice, his daughter…or his friends. One simple decision of-

_Loyalty or betrayal?_

_Simple?_ He thought to himself as he looked up at the dark night sky. _Do I save one at the cost of so many others?_

_Loyalty or betrayal?_

_Can I?_ He looked down at the device clutched with in his hand. _I couldn’t see going on without her._

_Loyalty or betrayal?_

Allie, his very soul screamed. _I couldn’t let her die…I wouldn’t let her die! Not when I had the power to save her!_

_Loyalty or betrayal?_

He took a deep breath, glancing back at the cold mountain they called home. "-I am become Death, The shatterer of Worlds..." He whispered into the night wind, closing his eyes…

_Loyalty or betrayal?_

_May God forgive me…for I have sinned._

He pressed the button.


	6. The Reaper's Waltz

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_Death is the first dance, eternal_

_There's no more freedom  
The both of you will be confined to this mind_

_I was told there's a miracle for each day that I try  
I was told there's a new love that's born for each one that has died  
I was told there'd be no one to call on when I feel alone and afraid  
I was told if you dream of the next world  
You'll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire_

_As a child, I thought I could live without pain without sorrow  
But as a man I've found it's all caught up with me  
I'm asleep yet I'm so afraid  
Metropolis - part I: The miracle and the sleeper (Dream Theater/Petrucci)_

The cavern held an energy that could only be described as perpetual. It was a place that held what precious little was left of the innocence in the world, safely incased within its rock hard walls. On one side, in a row of cubbyholes, homemade toys of wood, metal, or whatever else could be scrounged were awaiting small hands to come and scatter them about the floor. Tattered books sat neatly on shelves above the toys. On the other wall, simple cots arranged in tidy rows sat empty until naptime came for the younger children. In the center of the cavern, homespun rugs covered the floor in bright, cheerful colors where several of the older children were quietly seated as they studied the day’s lessons. In a shadowed nook, separated by a woven curtain were a few baby cribs, although covered with the dust of disuse, none of the adults could bear to give up the possibility that perhaps one day they would again hold babies.   
  
At the front of the room an expansive entrance was left open to the passageway, but the Joes had not left this precious room undefended. They had made certain that there was another escape route and Tripwire had rigged that exit to dissuade anyone from following. It was something that each and every one of them hoped would never be tested.   
  
Gradually, the room began to fill with childish laughter and pounding footsteps as one by one the children arrived, some moving to gather in groups for lessons, others to the toys and games that children are born knowing. It was into this early morning bustle of activity that Hector Delgado wheeled his chair. The familiar wave of pain that struck him every time he entered flashed and faded. With the loss of his family, and then his leg, he felt locked in a life where he was useless to those around him. Depression was setting in when Lifeline had talked him into helping with the children. He had reluctantly agreed to become the caregiver for the raggedy hyperactive horde of children that had survived the purges. Now, he thought as he glanced around, he couldn’t think of not being here with them every day. He had already heard the familiar laughter of several of the children from down in the passageway, and laughed as he was instantly surrounded by a huddle of small bodies, each one chattering away about everything imaginable. “Alright, alright,” he held his hands up, stopping the incoherent conversation. “Sounds like a herd of elephants in here.”   
  
“Uncle Hector!” A mirror image of redheads shouted in unison as they charged into the cave and attached themselves to both his arms.   
  
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite redheads.” He pulled both girls into a hug.  
  
Shana laughed as she followed the girls in. “I thought I was your favorite?”   
  
“You’ll always be my first favorite, Scarlett.” He looked at her over his shoulder and winked. “But how can I say no to these blue eyes?” He glanced down at the twins. Kiara smiled and batted her eyes at him, and he nodded at her. “See?”  
  
Shana snorted. “You’re a bad influence you know that?”   
  
“I live to serve.” He threw her a mock salute.   
  
“I’m sure you do,” She replied sarcastically as she knelt down to be eye level with her daughters. Pulling both into a hug, she reminded them, “You behave yourselves today.” She stood and gently pushed them towards the playroom.  
  
“Bye Mommy!” Kiara waved as she ran to play with some of the other children, while Audra reluctantly left her mother to follow her sister. Both girls joined the Rudat boys, Kiara picking up one of the rusted toy cars the boys were zooming across the floor.  
  
“What ya doin'?” She asked William.  
  
“Car chase.” William answered as he looked up at the twins. His younger brother, Ezra, took advantage of the distraction to crash his car into his brother’s. “Hey!” William huffed, “I wasn’t ready!”   
  
“What else is new?” Ezra shot back.   
  
“Boys!” Kiara scolded in a tone so like her mother’s Shana had to fight back a smile as she turned away. Shaking her head, it always amazed her how the children seemed to toss off the misery that surrounded them. She often wished she could do the same herself, just throw away the responsibility of keeping people alive, to do anything but fight for survival. “Where do they get it Hector?”  
  
“The energy?” He chuckled. “Beats me.”   
  
“No,” she shook her head. “The innocence. No matter what happens they think we can fix it.”   
  
He looked over at the lone dark haired girl playing quietly. “Not all of them have it anymore.”   
  
Shana followed his line of vision and nodded silently. _And not all our casualties are dead._ She patted Shipwreck on the shoulder. “Don’t give them any ideas, sailor.”   
  
“Who me?” He looked up at her with mock hurt.  
  
“Mommy,” Audra tugged at her mother’s pant leg to get her attention. “Don’t go.”   
  
Shana glanced down into her daughter’s sky-blue eyes. “I have to baby, but Uncle Hector will be here with you.”  
  
“No!” Audra tightened her grip, and gave a jerk on the fabric. Her face pinching in childish-stress. “Stay mommy!”   
  
“Audra.” She knelt to the child’s eye level. “I have to go help daddy. I promise I’ll come get you for dinner, alright?” There was a firmness in Scarlett’s voice that made it final.  
  
Audra cuddled her doll a little closer as she processed her mother’s words. “Daddy too?”  
  
“I’ll see what I can do, but no promises.” She hugged the girl and kissed her cheek. “Now go on and play.”   
  
“She ok?” Ship-Wreck asked as he watched the girl run over to her sister.  
  
Shana nodded. “Yeah, I know she misses Duke.” She sighed, her eyes on her daughters. “I know I do.”  
  
Hector placed a hand on her arm. “He’s a good man, Shana. He’s just being pulled in too many directions right now.”  
  
“Oh I know.” She replied, squeezing his hand. “I’m not too far behind him. I just wish...”  
  
“We all do Scarlett,” he moved his chair away slowly. “But you know what they say: live now, grieve later.” 

* * * * * * * * 

“Well… that’s that.” Ann-Marie said as she leaned back, pulled her glasses off to rub her tired eyes, then stretched. “Only took,” she glanced at her watch. “Gee… nine hours.”   
  
“Is that all?” Mainframe chuckled as he picked up his coffee mug and dumped it upside down. Nothing came out and he gave Ann-Marie a sorrowful look. “I’m game for another nine if you are,” he answered through a yawn.  
  
“Uh-huh, sure.” She smiled knowingly at her husband. “You’re dead in your chair, Hacker.” She stood to walk up behind him to massage his shoulders.   
  
He leaned back into her arms. “I really should work on that encryption.”   
  
She laughed. “Oh really? And screw it up from here ‘til Tuesday? Give it a rest, Blaine. We both need to take a break. Besides…” a grin slowly spread across her face. “I can think of something better to do.”   
  
“Oh yeah?”  
  
She ran her hands down his shoulders and across his chest. “How’s about this?” She leaned down and kissed his neck.   
  
“That’s what I love about you. Such a forward woman.” He reached back and pulled her around the chair, onto his lap. “Bet I can do better.” He pulled her lips to his.   
  
“Hmmm.” She sighed, smiling at him as they broke apart. “I don’t know...” She yelped softly as he pinched her, and smacked his shoulder. “Maybe I just need another demonstration, Hacker.”   
  
He was only too glad to oblige. 

* * * * * * * * 

Wild Bill sang softly to himself as he wandered through the tunnels, nodding in greeting to those he passed as he made his way to the medical cavern. He was glad to be back at the base and even happier that Cammy was recovering well in good hands. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought of how different it would of been had Clutch not been there to save her. _If he hadn’t… Stop it Bill!_ He chastised himself. _She’s alive and ya don’t have to tell Sarah that ya had to bury another child._ He sighed as his thoughts turned to his wife. Had it really been over a year since he last saw her? And then to have Cammy tell him that she had seen her mother at the prison compound… what was Alexia thinking? He quietly entered the medical cavern and noticed that for once, no one was waiting for Ed’s services. He waved at Ella as he passed her desk and smiled when he heard Cammy’s voice echo through the room over the noise of the other patients. He paused just out of sight and waited.   
  
“It’s fine,” She growled at Ed as he removed her bandage. “Don’t even hurt anymore.”  
  
Ed quirked an eyebrow. “Really?” He gently pressed the area around the wound.  
  
“Yeah, real.... OW! Watch it!”   
  
“Yes, I can see it’s not hurting anymore.” He chuckled lightly, and then turned serious. “It’s healing fine Cammy, but you’re still on the sick list.” Ed reached over and grabbed a clean wrap. “I don’t want to risk any permanent damage.”  
  
She leaned back with a groan. “Meanin’ I’m stuck here, ain’t I?”  
  
“Sorry kiddo.” Lifeline ruffled her hair as she scowled. “Look on the bright side, you don’t have to do KP.”  
  
“Woohoo.” She twirled a finger. “Daddy, would ya get me outta here?” Her face changed suddenly as she smiled sweetly to Bill as he came up behind Ed.  
  
“Sorry darlin’.” He sat on the edge of her bed. “But what Lifeline says goes.”   
  
“But Daddy...”  
  
“Uh-uh, don’t even think of givin’ me those puppy-dog eyes of yours,” he reprimanded, playfully swatting her leg.   
  
Ed chuckled. “It’s only another day or two Cammy… I promise.” He rehung her chart. “Enjoy the rest while you can.” He said over his shoulder as he moved to the next patient.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She pulled a pillow out from behind her head and covered her face. “That’s a day to long.” She mumbled under the pillow.  
  
“Anyway, I came to tell ya that Steeler’s awake and doin’ good.”   
  
She pulled the pillow away from her face. “Really?”   
  
“Yup,” Bill assured her as he grabbed the pillow from her. “Fever broke early this mornin’.”  
  
“Good.” She sighed in relief as she rolled onto her side. “Maybe I can go visit with him later.”  
  
“That’s a good idea.” He patted her leg as he rose from the bed. “I gotta head over to command. You do what Ed tells ya hear?”  
  
“Yes sir,” she muttered.  
  
“What was that Camille?” Bill leaned in closer.  
  
She rolled her eyes. “I said, yes sir.”   
  
“Don’t fret too much darlin, you’ll be outta here afore ya know it.” He patted her on the head and waved as he left. 

* * * * * * * * 

A soft moan emitted from one of the deepest shadowy corners in the command center. When the area had been set up, a large steel cabinet had been strategically placed in such a way that a small nook was almost completely blocked from view. The general idea was for a person to be able to hide and gain tactical advantage over invading enemies. Mainframe and Ann-Marie had found another useful purpose. More often than not, they took their breaks in the secluded corner.   
  
“Blaine,” Ann-Marie protested weakly, “don’t go too far… oh!”  
  
“Damn, I wish we were back in our quarters…”  
  
“Later,” she promised. “Later…”  
  
Mainframe’s mouth covered hers again to cut off her next words. She groaned deep in her throat, wanting so much more than they could have at the moment, but savoring every moment in her husband’s embrace. She didn’t even notice the roughness of the rock wall against her back.  
  
Bill walked in and took a look around the deserted room. Mainframe and Ann-Marie’s computers were sitting empty, the screens patiently waiting with blinking cursors to get back to work. It wasn’t often that both were gone from their stations, and Bill knew exactly where they were. He took a few more steps into the room and cleared his throat loudly. “Oh, not again you two.”   
  
There was a startled yelp and a thud against metal. Bill could picture Mainframe being shoved back against the cabinet in knee-jerk reaction of being caught.   
  
Ann-Marie poked her head out and smiled brightly, waving a hand. “Hey Bill! Didn’t expect you back so soon.” She stepped out from the nook and looked down, only to notice her shirt was still unbuttoned. She blushed deeply and quickly re-buttoned her shirt.  
  
Bill tipped his hat back. “Yeah, I see that.”  
  
“Well, looks like break is over A.M.” Mainframe admitted reluctantly as he came from behind the cabinet. He started past her, back to the computers.  
  
“Not a moment’s res-- hey!” She swatted at Blaine as he walked by her and pinched her rear. “One day, Hacker. One day.”   
  
“You got those files for me Ann?” Bill said as he shook his head at the couple’s antics.   
  
She quickly stepped back to her workstation and grabbed a pile of papers. “That’ll be $59.95 please, no checks accepted.” She teased as she handed Bill the reports.   
  
“Put it on my tab will ya?” He waved as he left the couple alone in the room.  
  
Ann laughed. “That’s what they all say,” she called after him, then turned back to her screen.   
  
“Guess it’s back to work for us then, ain’t it?” Mainframe said as he pulled up the encryption program he was trying to crack. “Do you happen to remember what Jack used when he broke those satellite codes?”   
  
“Hmm?” Ann rolled her chair over and looked over Blaine’s shoulder. “Just a sec, scoot over.” He did and she took his place for several moments, bringing up data files until she found what she was looking for. “Try this.” She hit several keys.  
  
Mainframe watched as the screen blinked for several minutes and then the gobbley-gook of characters resolved into readable text. “What did you do?”   
  
Ann laughed. “Elementary, my dear Hacker. I took the base number, divided it by the square of the equations root and then multiplied that by--”  
  
“That’s simple?!” He interrupted, shaking his head at her.   
  
“Actually no, I just ran the program Jack left us before he headed west.” She quickly leaned over and kissed him. “But you have to admit it sounded good.”   
  
He kicked his foot out, sending her chair rolling towards her station. “Go play on your own toys.”   
  
“Hey, you asked for it.” She exclaimed in mock defensiveness. “Oh and if you“ The words cut off abruptly. “What the hell?” She suddenly put her whole attention to her terminal.   
  
Blaine looked over at his wife. “Ann?” He rolled his chair across the floor to her station. “What’s up?”   
  
She ignored him, her fingers flying franticly over her keyboard. She looked over at her husband, her face suddenly tight and pale. Fear filled her eyes. “I think we got a problem Blaine… a big problem. You know that interference I’ve been fighting all morning? It just resolved itself into a homing beacon signal.” She reached past her husband and slammed her hand down on a single red button.   
  
Throughout the caverns, an eerie whistle sounded. 

* * * * * * * * 

_Amazing,_ the man thought to himself. _They were right in front of me this whole time._ His mask flashed in the sun as he regarded the mountains before him. “Primitive,” Destro commented as he scanned the area through his binoculars. “No visible defenses, but that means nothing. These are Joes, and they are desperate. What defenses they do have should be easy enough to get past.” He motioned for his troop commander to step forward. The Viper was quick to move to his lord’s side. “Odd isn’t it,” Destro mused aloud, “how easy it is to sway one’s loyalties when one knows the enemy’s weakness.”   
  
“What are your orders my lord?”   
  
Destro looked one last time at the base that had managed to elude him for so long. “My orders, Commander?” He turned his smile on the man and sent chills down the Viper’s spine. “No survivors.” 

* * * * * * * 

“Ok, listen up.” Duke’s voice brought the conversations going on around the meeting room to a stop. “I don’t want to keep the patrols here any longer then we have to since I’m sure most of them would really like a hot meal and a bed.”   
  
“You can say that again!” Mutt’s comment sent a round of chuckles through the room.   
  
Duke waved for silence. “Recondo.” He gave the floor over to the former jungle trooper.   
  
Daniel stood nodding his thanks to Duke. “Well first, damn glad to be home.” He smiled at each person present. “Ed, you’ll be happy to know that I managed to fill most of your grocery list and even managed a few extras.” The medic nodded his thanks. “Dusty,” Recondo faced the team’s former desert officer. “The good news is I managed to locate most of the items you needed for your perimeter teams.”   
  
“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in there?” Dusty asked with a sigh.  
  
“But,” Daniel continued. “We had to leave most of it behind when we tailed it outta there.”   
  
“How much did we get?” Duke asked.  
  
“Maybe 30% of what we needed, not enough to keep the perimeter unites supplied for very long.” Recondo said.  
  
Dusty sighed, “I ain’t worried about food or meds for them Duke.” He regarded his commander. “But Spirit’s teams are runnin’ low on ammo and fuel.”   
  
“What about rerouting from the scavenger patrols for a bit?” Scarlett suggested. “Most of those teams are in a better position to resupply themselves on the move.”   
  
Duke nodded. “Flint?”   
  
Distracted, it took Flint a moment to respond. “They can do it,” he agreed. “Most of them pull from what they scavenge anyway.”   
  
“Done.” Duke looked back at Recondo. “You and your team did a good job Daniel.” He turned and smiled at Savannah and Ethan. “You two enjoy your rest, and get some down time with the other kids.” He then turned to the blond man leaning against the stone wall. “Mac?”  
  
“Well most of ya know what we dragged in already.” He said without looking up. “We’re seeing an increase in patrols in the badlands.”   
  
“How big?” Dusty asked, concerned. “Do I need to move my people back?”  
  
Mac thought for a moment before answering. “They’ve moved up to a patrol comin’ through every two-three weeks now.”   
  
_There was also more activity along the borderline._ Snake-Eyes signed. I _counted nearly double the number of patrols in the area._   
  
“Something’s up,” Duke acknowledged. “Now to figure out what. Good work with bringing in the Cobra.” He then turned to Dusty. “I want you to move your people closer to base and any patrols going out or coming in I want back tracked for hounds until further notice.”   
  
Dusty nodded. “Spirit may want to bring in more of his people.”   
  
“If he does he supplies them from what he has, unfortunately. There’s just nothing to spare.” Duke sighed. “We can’t afford to stretch what we have any thinner than it is.” He turned to Ed. “How’s the battle going?”  
  
The medic ran a tired hand through his sleep-ruffled hair. “Steeler’s going to be fine. His fever broke early this morning.” He looked over at Bill. “Cammy on the other hand, is about ready to break out on her own.”   
  
“Don’t look at me,” Bill protested. “She gets it from her mother.”   
  
“Yeah sure,” Ed joked. “She’ll be back in a day or two. Mark just needs rest more than anything. Other than that I have no new news about the others in the medial ward.”  
  
Duke nodded. “I received a message from Jack yesterday morning.” He opened a folded piece of paper. “Seems Kay’s sent you a early Christmas preset Ed.” He smiled broadly at the medic, holding out the paper.  
  
“What?” He took the note from Duke, scanning it quickly. “Damn!” He cheered and felt some hope for the first time since Doc died. “She did it! She really did it!”   
  
“Care to share with the rest of us?” Scarlett asked, looking from Duke to Lifeline   
  
“We’ve got a cu--”   
  
The room froze as a familiar, bone chilling wail spread through the caverns. 

* * * * * * * * 

Steeler watched those moving around him with unsure feelings. The last thing he remembered was Grunt telling him he needed to rest, then next thing he knew he woke up in this place that looked more like a war zone then a hospital. A woman had summoned Lifeline as soon as she noticed him awake, and he and Clutch were both soon by his bedside. Having Clutch present lessened his anxiety somewhat, but then Steeler was forced to endure almost an hour of poking and prodding. He had nearly cheered when the man had been called away for some meeting. Clutch sat down on the bed and asked him what he remembered, then spent the next hour filling in the blanks and catching him up on the situation. Which in the end only caused the tank-jockey to feel even more confused at what had happened. So now he lay there, confined to his bed by Lifeline’s orders, alone in his thoughts as he mulled over everything that his friend had told him.  
  
“I hear you’re feelin’ better.”   
  
He looked over and saw a smiling brown-haired girl standing beside his bed, her arm supported by a sling. “I guess,” he shrugged.  
  
The girl laughed. “Y’all don’t remember me do ya?”  
  
He shook his head and pulled himself up on his elbows. “Should I?”   
  
“Probably not.” She propped a pillow behind him so he could lean back in a seated position. “Nah, ya were pretty out of it when we met.” She sat on his bed and held out her good hand. “I’m Cammy.”   
  
“Steeler.” He shook her hand in his.   
  
“I know.” She grinned. “I was one of the ones that brought ya in with your friends.”   
  
“Wait a sec, are you the girl that Clutch said treated me?”   
  
“All I did was finish what someone else started,” she replied, deferring the question.   
  
“Maybe, but I still owe you a big thanks, kid,” he pointed out with a smile.   
  
Her face pinked in embarrassment. “I was just doin’ my--” She stopped suddenly as a slowly rising wail filled the medical cavern.   
  
Steeler glanced around as the tension in the room jumped and people began scrambling. “What’s going on?” he demanded, grabbing Cammy’s arm as she jumped off the bed to help.  
  
She looked at him, her face blank with terror. “They’re here. They found us.”  
  
“They who?”   
  
“Cobra.” 

* * * * * * * * 

“How the fucking hell did they find us?!” Dusty shouted as he came up to the barricade that had been hastily erected at the main entrance.   
  
Mac shrugged with one shoulder as he took aim and fired a single shot, sending a blue-clad figure spinning backwards and falling to the ground. “Does it matter now?” He aimed again.   
  
Duke crawled up to the two men. “How bad?”   
  
Mac snorted. “Makes the attack on base look like a picnic.” He fired another shot. “Jeb!” He shouted to the young man. “Left front!”   
  
“I see ‘em! Got it!”   
  
Duke looked at each of those who had volunteered to the front lines. “Hold them as long as you can,” He ordered loud enough for everyone to hear. He then leaned towards Mac and whispered, “Don’t leave anyone _alive_ behind.”   
  
Mac nodded quickly, squeezing off another bullet. He knew what that order meant. He also knew what Cobra did to prisoners. “As ordered sir.”   
  
Duke nodded curtly, placed a hand on the sniper’s shoulder for a moment then belly crawled back to the cave to help evacuate the others.  
  
Cobra’s troops advanced. 

* * * * * * * * 

“Alright everyone! Pipe down!” Ship-wreck shouted over the din that had filled the large cavern. He could feel his heart pounding inside, but outside he kept his appearance calm. The children had all stopped whatever they had been involved in at the sound of the alarm. Many of the older children could remember what happened last time such a warning had come, and the younger ones fed off the terror they projected. Most stood huddled in groups, some crying, others eerily silent. Hector was far from being unprepared for handling the situation, but he had no idea how much time they had. All he knew was that these lives were entrusted to him, and he wasn’t about to lose anymore to Cobra.   
  
He forced his voice to be confident and his manner commanding. “William,” he called to the ten-year-old. “I want you and Ezra to grab the packs from the closet and pass them out to the older children.”  
  
The boy nodded, his brown eyes fearful. “I remember what to do, Uncle Hector.”   
  
“Good.” He turned back to the group. “Jenny, you and Maddie take the little ones and bundle them up as best you can.”  
  
“I want my Daddy!” Stasha Pearlmutter cried.   
  
Hector took a deep breath, pulling himself together. “I know honey,” he soothed, rolling his chair up to the seven-year-old. “But right now I need you to help Jenny and Maddie ok?”   
  
She nodded, wiping her nose on a shirtsleeve. “Ok.”   
  
He watched them as they all did as they were told. He made certain that the remote for the explosives was in his pocket, his fingers lightly touching its smooth buttons. He suddenly knew that he would never see the end of this war, never see another sunrise. As that realization gripped his heart, strangely, he found himself at peace. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small, faded photo of a woman and three children. With a trembling hand he caressed her face and sighed. I _’ll see you soon Cass._

* * * * * * * * 

“We ain’t gonna hold much longer!” Mac shouted over the explosion that shattered the ground in front of the barrier. He covered his head with an arm as debris rained down on them.   
  
Dusty nodded sharply as he shook off the pebbles and continued to lay down suppression fire. “Ya think we bought enough time?”  
  
The sniper shrugged as he took aim at a Cobra. “We ain’t all getting out of here no matter what happens.” He ducked down instinctively as another mortar whistled overhead and struck the hillside. “They’ll get the kids out first.” He voiced the silent fear that clutched the other man’s heart.   
  
“Mac!” Jeb hollered to the sniper. “We’re runnin’ low on ammo!”   
  
“We need to fall back Low-Light!” Grunt shouted.   
  
Dusty looked at the blond man. “Orders, Mac?”   
  
The sniper fell silent as he considered their options. “Get ready--” He paused as a familiar whistle cut through the air, this time much louder. He tracked the missile and saw it’ impact point. “Jeb! “ he screamed, jumping up and starting for the boy. He was thrown back by the blast as the mortar hit its target. Dusty also was knocked to the ground, as was Grunt. _Oh God no…_ He silently screamed as he scrambled up and ran to where the boy lay prone, half buried in debris. Shaking, Low-Light crouched down and turned the boy over, laying a finger on boy’s bloody neck.   
  
Nothing.  
  
“Mac! Grunt’s hit, but alive!” Dusty shouted from his position by the Joe. “We gotta pull back!” He looked over at Bill’s son. “Jeb!”  
  
Low-Light took a deep breath and retrieved his rifle. “He’s gone!” He shouted back. Catching the eye of those that remained alive on the front line, he called out, “Fall back! Help where you can!” He looked down one last time at the boy as his team fell back to the cave. “Sorry kid.”   
  
He took a small explosive out of his pocket and shoved it into a predrilled hole and set the timer, then ran for the caverns.  
  
The Cobras came. 

* * * * * * * * 

“We have broken their main line, my Lord.” The commander bowed as he made his report.   
  
“Excellent.” Destro smiled as he took raised his binoculars. “I think, Commander, it is time I joined this battle.”  
  
The Viper bowed. “As you wish my Lord.”   
  
The man in the mask smiled as the destruction rained around him. “It is time to end this.” 

* * * * * * * * 

“Shit!” Duke cursed as he tossed the headset aside. “We’re out of time.”  
  
Bill looked up sharply from his position. “The main line?” He felt a chill settle in the pit of his stomach.   
  
“Mac just had what’s left of them fall back. ” He turned to the blond headed boy standing at the entry. “Shane, I want you to move the prisoner.”   
  
The boy acknowledged him with a nod, shouldered his rifle and jogged out the door. Duke picked his headset up and replaced it to his ear. “Shana?” he queried. He felt a wave of relief wash over him when her voice crackled over the headset.  
  
“Go ahead.”  
  
She sounded out of breath and he could hear her shouting orders. “They’re coming through.”   
  
The line went silent for a moment. “ I copy,” she replied.   
  
He glanced at Bill out of the corner of his eye. “Shana, watch your back,” he whispered.  
  
“You come back to me Hauser.” She cut the line. 

* * * * * * * * 

He ran. He clutched his side arm in his hand as he rushed past people in the direction of his quarters. He threw the curtain aside and tore through the room to Asia’s small sleeping nook and quickly tossed open a small chest, digging to the bottom of it and removing Lady Jaye’s sidearm, slamming a fresh magazine into it. He looked down, catching sight of the tracking device that he had also hidden within the confines of the chest.   
  
Over his headset, Duke’s voice echoed in his ear. “Cobras have entered the base. Repeat: Cobras have entered the base.”   
  
_You did this Dash,_ he swore to himself. _Everyone that dies today…damn it their blood is on your_ _hands, you killed them._ He released the safety on the gun. He glanced at the photo that sat beside Asia’s bed. _I know what I have to do Allie…even if it kills me I’ll stop him.  
_  
He spun, sprinting from the room without a second glance. 

* * * * * * * * 

Scarlett ducked and covered her head as dust rained down from above. “That one was close,” she murmured to herself. She moved quickly through the corridors making sure that people were moving in the correct direction to the escape tunnels. She glanced quickly behind her in the direction of the nursery. Don’t think about them Shana. _They’re safe… God please let them be safe._  
  
“Scarlett!” Clutch yelled as he ran up to her. “Where ya need me?”   
  
She looked at the man. “I…” She shook herself, forcing her mind to think of something aside from her family. “Help keep people moving.”   
  
He nodded and was about to move when a child’s crying voice stopped him. “Daddy! She won’t leave!”   
  
He looked down to see Libby grabbing his arm. “What?”  
  
“Please!” the child cried. “She won’t leave!”   
  
“Who? Scarlett? She’s suppose to be here--”   
  
“Beth! Go!” She shoved him in the direction of the Steinberg quarters as she grabbed Libby and handed her off to another woman helping with the evacuation. “I can handle this.”  
  
He looked once more at the dark haired girl that was now being carried away from the destruction. He took off in a dead run. 

* * * * * * * * 

Cover-Girl was vaguely aware of the shouts that resounded through the caverns. She wandered the corridors in a daze, not really seeing those around her as they rushed to the evac tunnels. She knew that they were under attack, but a part of her didn’t care any longer. She found herself suddenly longing for an end. An end to the death, the destruction, the memories of what life had become. She was wishing for that one bullet to come and take the decision out of her hands. She came to a deserted corridor.  
  
“Mommy?”   
  
A soft whimper punched through her wall of self-pity and she froze in her tracks, listening.  
  
“Mommy? Where are you?”   
  
Cover-Girl squinted her eyes in the dimness as she caught sight of a small shadow moving along the wall. _Kim?!_ Her mind screamed as she saw a flash of light brown hair. But it was the flash of blue uniform that caused her to act. With her sidearm out and ready, she sprinted towards the girl, roughly grabbing her up into her arm as she took a shot at the Cobra in front of her.   
  
She felt the bullet cut through her with a white-hot fire and fell to her knees, gasping with the impact. Her arm instinctively covered her midsection, and she still hung on to the crying child. “Shhh.” She whispered as she held the girl closer. She could hear the Cobra’s boots crunch on the rocky ground as he approached her. “It’s alright.” She continued to comfort the child.  
  
“Don’t worry Joe…this won’t hurt a bit.” The Cobra sneered at her as he brought his side arm to bear.  
  
Courtney regarded him with a calmness as she suddenly pulled her own gun from behind the girl, empting her clip into the Cobra’s chest. She watched dispassionately as he fell to the ground lifeless. “You’re right.” She growled as she weakly staggered to her feet. “It didn’t hurt.” She held the crying girl to her as she stumbled down the tunnel leaving a trail of red in her wake. 

* * * * * * * * 

“Damn it!” Ed shouted over the explosions that rocked the cave. “Move it!!” He shoved another faltering patient out into the hall. “Everyone who can walk on their own get out now!”   
  
“What can I do?” Steeler asked as he walked unstably over to Ed.   
  
“You can get the hell out.” Ed pointed as he tossed more of the much-needed medical supplies at the runners as they returned for another load. “You’re in no condition to do anything.”   
  
“I ain’t leaving without something in my hands!”   
  
“Fine.” Ella plopped a small child in his arms. “You got something. Now get out!”   
  
“I’ll be back.” Steeler shouted as he ran to the exchange point.   
  
Ed didn’t pause in his movements as he ran tossing supplies into what packs he could grab hold of and then shoved them into the arms of anyone willing to take them. “Ella!” he shouted. “Make sure those kids have someone with them when they’re evacuated!”   
  
“Already taking care of it Ed. Cammy’s got them in hand.” She responded as she handed off another child to a pair of waiting arms. “Shit!” She covered her head as more dust rained down from above as the cavern shook. Ed exchanged a glance with her and nodded.   
  
They were running out of time.   
  
“Listen up!” She yelled over the organized chaos. “If you can walk. run, crawl, hell if you can walk out on your hands move it out now! If you can carry something, grab a pack!” She pointed to the pile by the door. “Get to the evac point, and don’t look back!”   
  
Ed watched as those who could left and even some that couldn’t walk were carried out on the backs of others. He glanced back at the sick room and knew that too many still remained. He ran out into the hall and made sure people were still moving and tossed packs at those with a free hand. He could see Ella running back and forth out of the cave and passing off injured to waiting hands. He spun round as thunder and screams erupted behind him and several large rocks dropped down on those below. He squinted through the thick dust then moved quickly to pick up those who had fallen and getting them on their way as fast as he could. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye. _What the hell..._ He looked again.   
  
A flash of blue...  
  
He spun round towards the medical cavern just in time to see Ella run back in. Time seemed to slow down into slow motion as he ran for the cave.   
  
Chink-chink-chink  
  
“ELLA!!!!!!!”   
  
Ed watched in horror as in slow motion Ella spun around to the sound of his scream and was then engulfed in a storm of fire. The explosion ripped back through the tunnels, sending debris and people flying in every direction. He went slamming back into the wall behind him and into darkness. 

* * * * * * * * 

“Gee kid, some uninvited guests stop by?” Michael taunted the boy as he loosened his restraints.  
  
Shane’s blue eyes narrowed as he jammed the rifle into the Cobra’s stomach. “Shut-up!”  
  
Michael sneered. “Or what? You’ll shoot me? Ha! You ain’t got the guts.”   
  
“Wanna bet?” Shane’s finger reached for the trigger.   
  
“Shane!” Mac’s shout from the hallway startled the boy and he paused just long enough for the Cora to take advantage of the distraction.   
  
Michael’s fist slammed into the side of Shane’s face so hard it threw him sprawling back against the stone wall. His rifle went the opposite direction. “I told ya kid.” The Cobra grinned as he picked up the rifle and took aim. “Say bye-bye.”   
  
The prisoner turned long enough to see a Viper framed in the hallway, his assault rifle up and ready. “Don’t shoot! I’m a Cob“   
  
The sharp report of an assault rifle followed by another sharp single shot echoed in the hall. Shane tensed himself for the blinding pain that he knew was coming and was shocked when it didn’t.   
  
“You gonna sit there all day?” His father’s voice growled.   
  
Shane opened his eyes and saw the prisoner lying dead in front of him with another dead Viper not more than two feet away. “What…?”  
  
Mac glared at his son. “You’re lucky that damn Viper came round the corner when he did.” He picked up and tossed the boy’s rifle back to him.   
  
Shane shook himself and got to his feet. “Don’t expect me to say thanks.”   
  
Mac simply shrugged. “They were heading to command,” he told the boy as they ran down the passage. “I want you to hold back and cover“ He stopped short his eyes catching sight of something. “Shit! Shane stay back!”   
  
“What?!” Shane watched as his father dashed forward, tackling Ann-Marie Parker back into the command center. “Dad!” He dived forward only to be momentarily blinded as a bright light flashed. He felt a pair hands dragging him back as he fought to go forward. “Let go of me you fuc--!” A sharp slap cut his curse off and forced him to look up. “Snake-Eyes?!”  
  
 _We must pull back._ The silent man signed. _The cavern is coming down._  
  
Shane jerked free to watch in horror as the ceiling collapsed, blocking him from the command center and his father. 

* * * * * * * * 

Ann-Marie grabbed blindly for a wrench from under the console she was quickly ripping apart. “Damn it!” She cursed as she received a shock from the panel. “I thought you shut off the power!”   
  
“I did!” Blaine shouted as he ran by, nearly tripping over her feet.   
  
“Come on... come on... got it!” She lifted the panel free and tossed it onto the cart full of computer equipment. “That’s it Hacker except for the stuff that ain’t worth the trouble. “  
  
Mainframe nodded and caught her as she went falling towards him as a sharp tremor swept through the room. “I think it’s time we got out of here, Babe.”   
  
She agreed with a nod. “I just need to grab one more thing. I’ll be right behind you.” She turned and grabbed a disk and slipped it into her shirt pocket as Blaine shoved the cart out into the hall and into the hands of several others helping the command center evacuate.   
  
“Go on and get out of here.” He turned, catching sight of Ann-Marie coming out of the command center and at the same moment saw the Viper. Low-Light suddenly appeared from behind the Viper and shot him down, then tackled Ann-Marie back into the room as a bright flash of light filled the dim halls. Mainframe raised his hand instinctively against it.   
  
They hit the floor with a thud, Ann-Marie losing her breath for a moment. “Mac?” She looked up at the sniper in shock. “Nice meeting you here.”   
  
The Joe didn’t respond immediately. When he did, he whispered, “I can’t see.” His voice shook.  
  
“It was a flash grenade, Mac. It’ll come back soon.” Ann felt the tremor through the floor and looked up to see cracks forming in the ceiling. _Oh God!_ she screamed inwardly as she grabbed a hold of Mac and drug him to his feet. “Work with me Mac, I can’t move you by myself!” She yanked him back behind the steel cabinet she and her husband so often used, into the relative safety of the nook. Ann-Marie looked around and caught sight of her husband at the same moment as the ceiling came down in the command center.  
  
“BLAINE!”  
  
He spun around. “Ann!” He leapt forward, attempting to reach his wife, only to be grabbed from behind by Dusty and pulled back as the ceiling caved in. He shoved off Dusty’s hands and ran over to the pile of rocks and dirt that now separated him from Ann-Marie. “ANN!?” He screamed and strained to hear any sound through the rocks.   
  
“There’s no time!” Dusty shouted as he jerked Mainframe away.   
  
“Damn it! I can’t just leave her!”   
  
“Ya ain’t got a choice! What ya gonna do? Dig through a mile of rocks!?” Dusty countered. “Blaine, she’s probably dead!”  
  
Mainframe took one last look at the debris and reached out to pick up a pack. “Lets go.” He turned and ran without a backwards glance, Dusty following. 

* * * * * * * * 

The screams echoed around him as the cave shook with the impact of an explosion from somewhere with in the system. Hector knew he was out of time now. He quickly marshaled his charges to him and with as calm a demeanor as he could manage, he paired them up with partners. “Alright it’s time.” He smiled at each frightened face before him. “Mutt’s going to show you the way. Everyone stay with him.”  
  
Mutt was quick to herd the kids towards the tunnel that had been built into the rear of the cavern. “Ok, everyone make sure to hold onto the rope.” He double-checked to make sure the youngest were with their partners before leading into the dark depths of the tunnel. “Stay with your partner!” He shouted behind him as he followed Junkyard through the inky blankness with only a flashlight. One of the older children brought up the rear with another flashlight.   
  
In the shadows, a small figure moved unseen from the nursery cavern. Her unsteady gait would have been recognized if any had glanced in her direction. But as was often the case, Asia Fairborn’s was often looked over and her absence not recognized until it was too late.  
  
Hector watched as the children were taken to safety and with a slightly shaky hand he pulled the remote out of his shirt pocket. “Our Father, who art in Heaven. Hallowed be Thy name.” He could hear the Cobras coming down the corridor by the sound of gunfire and the screams of those who had sacrificed themselves to buy enough time to get the children out. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” He watched as four Vipers flooded in, weapons at the ready.  
  
“Where are the brats, Joe?” The lead Viper demanded as he brought his gun to bear on the crippled sailor.  
  
Shipwreck simply smiled at the Viper. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” He glanced down at the remote clutched in his palm and the photo taped to it. _I’m coming Cassie!_  
  
The Viper took a step forward, his finger twitching on the trigger. “I won’t ask again Joe. Where are they?!”   
  
Hectors smile became wider. “You’ll never know.”  
  
He pushed the button. 

* * * * * * * * 

She was sitting silently on her bed when he came to a skidding stop in her quarters, nearly falling on the loose rock and dirt. She didn’t notice the rubble raining down around her from the ceiling with increasing frequency. He stumbled to her side, swearing as another hail of rock and dust came down. “Beth! This ain’t the time to just sit around!” He urged as he hauled her off the bed. “We gotta get outta here!”   
  
“No…” she protested weakly, pulling away from his grip and falling backwards onto the bed. “Just leave me…let me die.”   
  
He gave an exasperated sigh and quickly slung his rifle over his shoulder before grabbing her up into his arms. “Sorry, can’t do that.”  
  
“What are you doing?!” Her fists beat against his chest in a weak attempt to fight. “No! Damn you, just leave me!”   
  
He couldn’t have avoided the hand that slammed into his face if he had wanted to. He looked down at the woman struggling in his arms and for the first time saw a glimmer of the fire that must have once existed. He took her by the shoulders and shook her. “You want me to leave ya? Ya want to die?” He glanced out into the open corridor, checking. “What about your kids? What they gonna do if you die here?”   
  
“I don’t care…” she sobbed.  
  
He froze. “You don’t care?” He looked down at her, his eyes snapping with anger. “Ya don’t think about anyone but yourself do ya? Those girls lost their father and what do you do?”  
  
“What gives you the right“  
  
“I ain’t finished.” He cut her off, and she stiffened in his arms. “I don’t know what your Lance would say, but I know damn well if you were my wife I would want you to fight with everything! Our girls deserve better! So what is it? Die alone or live?”  
  
“I…I…” Confusion crossed her face as she took a deep, shuttering breath. Her husband was dead, yet he stood before her. “Live.” She whispered.   
  
“Then dammit Bethany, start living again! Do it!”   
  
She closed her eyes, dropping her head to his shoulder as he picked her up. Her arms slipped around his neck. “Get me out of here.”   
  
He smiled quickly at her. Without a second thought, he pressed a kiss to her lips, and took off running down the corridor. 

* * * * * * * * 

“How many more?” Scarlett shouted at Dusty.  
  
“If they ain’t out by now then they ain’t getting out.” He ducked and covered as more rubble rained down on them. “At least not from this sector.”   
  
Scarlett nodded solemnly; she knew that any that were left in the caves were either dead or on their own. Most of the escape routes were now collapsed or Cobra controlled the ground. “Leader Joe.” She spoke into her comm.   
  
“Go.” Duke’s familiar voice piped back to her. He sounded strained and she could hear others shouting in the background.   
  
“We got who we could out of sector five.” She took a moment to glance at the now caved in tunnel that would have taken her to her children. “Any word on…”  
  
“Nothing.” Duke answered before she even finished. “Move to evac point delta and coordinate with Recondo and his team.”   
  
“Copy lead.” She spun around bringing her weapon to bear when the sound of the gravel crunching alerted her to someone approaching. “Clutch!”   
  
“Where?” He nodded to the woman carried in his arms.   
  
“Give her to one of the medics and come with me.” She turned away from the man. “Dusty you’re with me.”   
  
“I’ll take her sir,” one of the civilians offered as he took Beth from Clutch’s arms.   
  
He held her hand for a moment. “Ya take care of those little girls.” He turned and ran after the others.  
  
“Come back to me,” Beth whispered as he disappeared into the dark cavern. 

* * * * * * * * 

“My lord,” the Viper saluted properly as he ran up to Destro. “Team four managed to obtain access to their computer room, however a cave-in has blocked their escape route and we have also lost contact with team twelve.”  
  
“Predictable,” Destro nodded to himself. “I hadn’t expected them to leave the children unprotected.” He looked at the Viper. “Continue the operation and be sure to deal with any wounded they leave behind as well.”   
  
The Viper bowed. “As you wish my Lord.” He saluted, turned sharply on his heel and marched out.   
  
“It’s a pity that your wife couldn’t be here to see your betrayal.” Destro said as he turned to a figure concealed in the shadows. “I’m quite sure she would have been surprised.”  
  
“Shut up.” Flint ordered as he moved towards Destro, Alison’s pistol aimed at the masked man’s face. “We had a deal.”   
  
Destro just laughed. “A deal? My dear Flint, haven’t you learned yet?” He watched as the man circled him. “I don’t make deals.”  
  
“You said you would spare the civilians!”   
  
“And you believed me? You’re a bigger fool then I thought.” Flint’s grip tightened on the gun as he continued to circle. “What’s the matter Flint?” Destro goaded as he stood calmly. “Can’t shoot me in cold blood?”   
  
“Shut up!”   
  
“Poor Flint…first your wife now all these innocent people.” The masked man sadly shook his head.   
  
“You fuckin’ bastard!”   
  
“Daddy?”   
  
That one word sent a chill down Flint’s back as he spun around by reflex. Asia stood there, eyes wide as she weakly leaned against the rough wall, ignoring the debris that fell around her from above. “Asia!” He watched as she jumped at the report of a gunshot.  
  
“I, on the other hand,” Destro declared, “have no compunctions what so ever shooting you in cold blood.”  
  
Flint felt the red hot pain as the bullet ripped through his back. He stared at his daughter as he fell to his knees and watched as Shane grabbed her up in his arms. “Get her out…” He gasped and watched as his daughter disappeared her brown eyes locked onto his face as she struggled in Shane’s arms. He heard the gravel crunch as Destro approached him from behind. “Get her out…”  
  
“It’s a pity Flint.” He set the barrel of his pistol against the Joe’s temple. “You won’t get to watch me deal with your brat.”   
  
“Go to hell.”   
  
The masked man smiled evilly. “You first.” 

* * * * * * * * 

“How many?” Duke asked as he regarded the man next to him.  
  
Spirit shrugged. “No way to know. Some may survive and join later.” He laid a hand on the Joe’s shoulder. “Come we must go before they can track us.”   
  
Duke nodded, “Shana…” He whispered into his headset. No reply. _She’s alive… just can’t_ _contact me that’s all…_ He pulled the headset off and took one last look at the mountain they had called home. _For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass’d; And the eyes of the sleepers wax’d deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!…_   
  
He turned and with tired steps followed Spirit away and again felt the weight of those lost heaped upon his weary heart. 

* * * * * * * * 

_Do the dying cry out if there is no one left to hear? Do the living morn if there are no tears left to weep? Does the blood soak the ground if it is already full? Do they hear the melody as the Reaper waltzes among them taking those he wishes? Do they see the sky as the sun paints it red as the blood that spilled? Do they see? Do they hear? Do they?_  
  
Two figures topped the rise of the hill as the sun began its decent into the horizon two days later. The larger of the two stood for a moment, shielding his eyes from the fading light and caught sight of smoke rising in the distance.   
  
“What is it?” Kay asked as she came up beside Mercer. She followed his line of sight and saw the spiral of smoke as it rose into the skyline.   
  
The man ignored her. In fact he had been ignoring her since she had insisted on accompanying him to the camp. Despite his protests she had made as valid an argument for why she should come as he had made for why she shouldn’t. In the end she won and much to his surprise had complained about nothing during their journey. In fact he had grown to respect her and maybe….just maybe, like her a little. “Somthin’s not right,” he said when he finally spoke.   
  
She snorted as she resettled her pack into a more comfortable position. “Care to clarify that? There’s a lot that’s not right around here.”  
  
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “We should have ran into a perimeter patrol by now.” He waved towards the smoke. “And that’s the exact position of the caves.”   
  
“Oh God… you don’t think?”   
  
“I don’t know.” He shouldered his rifle. “But I intend to find out. Come on.”   
  
She hurried after him as he started in long strides towards the rising smoke.  
  
The stench of the fire hit them as they came over the last hill and found themselves on the plateau in front of the main entrance…or what was once the main entrance. All that remained was a wall of collapsed rock and obvious signs of a battle that had recently taken place on the ground.   
  
“I don’t believe it…” Mercer whispered to himself as his eyes took in the scene of destruction that littered around him. He could see bodies lying buried in the rubble and even recognized some of the clothing as belonging to some of the Joes.   
  
Beside him Kay slowly sank to her knees on the bloody ground, tears tracking in her dust covered face as she stared at the rock wall that had turned the caves into nothing more than a tomb. “Oh God, Ed…” She buried her face into her hands. “No… no… no… no… no”   
  
In the distance a lone mournful howl of a wolf echoed.


	7. As Chimmney-Sweeps Come to Dust

_Extended a view to yesterday  
Manifestation for none the same  
Walking amidst a frightening still  
No sound, no smoke, no scorching  
Flames  
He is risen...  
  
Sipping his poison the raven sings  
Yet another to add more bodies fallen  
King from below  
this one controls  
the Killing Hand that caused this mourning.  
Is it all over?  
Is it all over?  
 **The killing hand: Part III. The Stray Seed (Dream Theater/Petrucci)**  
  
_ The tiny lamp did little to chase away the shadows that encroached upon the man sitting on the simple wooden stool. He was a man once considered brave, heroic, but now he was tired… so tired of surviving while he left others behind to die.  
  
"…still filtering in slowly."  
  
He barely registered Blaine's voice as the other man relayed the latest information. It had been nearly two days since they lost the caves. Two days of waiting and wondering who survived. Slowly, one by one, they filtered into the abandoned mine that served as the fallback base, most of them with precious little information for those still waiting for word of a love one's fate.  
  
"We still haven't heard from Clutch, Mac, Shana, Ann-Ma-" He choked when he came to his own wife's name.  
  
Duke sighed deeply, his own thoughts turning to his family. "All we can do is keep going Blaine and hope that maybe they're still alive." He took the list from the other man and wadding it up into a ball, he tossed it into a corner.  
  
"Duke." Spirit's calm voice carried into the room and the man simply nodded at his commander.  
  
Slowly Duke pulled himself from the stool, feeling old beyond his years. "We've got work to do."

* * *

  
 The resounding thrum of boots upon concrete echoed throughout the dark city as row upon painfully precise row marched past the curved balcony that held the supreme high command. Lining the streets below, huddled within the clinging shadows stood the masses of conscripted citizens, each clutching within their hands the symbol of the regime.  
  
"A glorious sight Commander." The Baroness commented.  
  
"Yesss… my dear," the Commander replied without pausing in his acknowledgment of the saluting troops "And it ssseems Lord Desstro is enjoying the ssscelebration."  
  
The baroness nodded in agreement as she caught sight of the man standing and waving to the crowed from the gun turret of his personal HISS tank. "It would seem so Commander. But I am curious as to why we are celebrating."  
  
The Commander nodded. "Azssss am I, my dear."  
  
As he took in the mass of the crowd around him, Destro watched the balcony from the corner of his eye. He knew the Commander was awaiting his arrival and his reasoning behind this celebration for his returning troops. The man in the mask smiled to himself. He had single handedly taken out one of the final holdouts for the resistance and killed more Joes in a single day then his beloved Commander had in a life time of slaughter. "It seems MacKay," he turned to his assistant, who rode on the HISS behind the turret, "that the time for change is coming."  
  
"Yes sir." MacKay simply replied.  
  
"Come then, it is time I dealt with the Commander." 

* * *

  
No light! No light! His mind screamed in panic as Mac opened his eyes only to find himself still encased with in the pitch-black darkness of a nightmare. He could hear someone else breathing near him. "Ann-Marie?" His voice shook slightly as hard as he tried to Control it. He felt a hand squeeze his.  
  
"Hey there Mac," Ann-Marie's familiar cheerful voice filtered through his fear -clouded mind. "About time you woke up."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
He heard her shift around again, bumping into his leg. "Well it seems the show Cobra put on was a hit. Literally brought the house down."  
  
"Do you always have to joke?" He snapped at her. "And do we have any light?"  
  
Ann-Marie stopped her searching their cramped space for a way out as she put her full attention on her companion. She glanced down at the small flashlight in her hand and back to the man that was currently shadowed in its meager light, thinking quickly. "Sorry Mac, my batteries are dead." She flashed the small light at his face. She waited for a reaction but got none.  
  
"Well ain't ya got some spares in your pocket or something?" He demanded, his voice edging towards panic.  
  
"Hey, easy there Cooper." Ann soothed, patting him on the leg. That seemed to calm him for the moment. "Won't be much longer till they come looking for us."  
  
"How long's it been?"  
  
Ann glanced down at her watch. Twenty-six hours. "Around 10 hours now." She lied.  
  
Mac took a deep breath. "Standard procedure is to wait till the area is clear of all opposing troops." Ann listened but allowed the man to ramble on. "Then send in Spirit's group…"  
  
Yeah, and not much longer we ain't gonna be alive for them to find. Ann-Marie's mind turned to her husband, and she closed her eyes, slight tears leaking out. Ride was good while we had it Blaine. 

* * *

  
"Are you sure this is where they went?" Kay asked as they wound their way around yet another bend and an old factory building came into site.  
  
Mercer only nodded as he kept his eyes roaming the roadside. They had left their camp not long after dawn and slowly began working their way to what Mercer knew was once a safe house. "Some of 'em anyway."  
  
Kay readjusted her pack and picked up her pace to keep up with the taller man. "I hope you're right."  
  
He stopped her in an outcropping of trees just before the perimeter of the factory grounds. "Wait here, I want to check this out first." He un-slung his pack and set it beside her pulling his pistol out as he did so. "If I ain't back in ten minutes you get the hell outta here." He waited till she acknowledged the order and darted across an open area that had once been a parking lot. Keeping to the shadows, he approached the entrance to the building flat against the wall. He knew that at one time this had been a fall back position and hoped that he wasn't chasing a dead end. He pushed the side door open, staying out of the doorway, his gun ready. The door opened with a groan and he cringed as the sound echoed through the inside. Well if they didn't know I was here they do now. He cautiously slipped inside and crept down the dark halls, weapon still up and at the ready. He felt the presence as a chill, spreading down his spine a second before the cold steel of the knife blade caressed his neck. He pulled his hands up and released his sidearm to whoever was behind him.  
  
"Password." The familiar voice demanded as the knife was pressed closer.  
  
"Sanctuary." He felt the knife relax away from his throat. "Nice welcome ya got going there, Shana." He glanced at the red head from over his shoulder.  
  
Scarlett snorted and replaced her knife into its sheath. "Never was much of a hostess." She handed Mercer his side arm back. "How did you know we were here?"  
  
The man shrugged. "I didn't, it was a lucky guess." He jerked his head towards the door. "I have someone outside in the trees at the perimeter."  
  
"Already taken care of. Dusty's bringing them in now." She turned and motioned for Mercer to follow. "Have you seen…"  
  
"No, you're the first group I've ran into." He glanced around as they walked into a large room, noting mostly civilians or wounded in the group. "Looks like you've had your hands full."  
  
"That's why I'm holed up here. I can't move at a decent pace to keep ahead of patrols." She winced slightly when she lowered herself to a stool. "Who's with you anyway?"  
  
"Kay, and it looks like you could use her." He pointed to the bloodstain on her clothing. "I can handle things for a bit. You look like you can use some sleep."  
  
Shana shook her head. "No we need to move soon. I've already held here longer than I wanted to."  
  
"Well it looks as if it's a good thing I bullied you into letting me come, Mercer," Kay commented as she came up beside him and set her pack down. "Anyone with medical training in the civilians?" She asked Shana as she dug out her med pack. She took a look at Shana's face and paused. "And when was the last time you slept?"  
  
"Don't worry about me. Handle the wounded first, we need to move by nightfall."  
  
Kay shook her head. "Nightfall is five hours away which means you have time to sleep." She glanced around and caught Dusty's eye, who nodded slightly. "Now will you sleep willingly or do I have to have someone knock you on that hard head of yours?"  
  
"Fine." She threw up her hands in defeat. "I know when I'm out-maneuvered." She turned to Dusty. "Four hours, not a minute longer." She turned and headed to a quiet corner away from the others.  
  
"Oh and Shana," Kay's voice caused the other woman to turn around. "Clean and bandage that wound properly while you're resting." She tossed bandage roll and a clean cloth to Scarlett. "Or I will." She made a mental note to herself to check that before they moved tonight. "Now," Kay turned to Dusty, "let's get to work." 

* * *

  
"Come in Desstro." The commander of Cobra motioned from behind his large desk to a pair of chairs. "Please take a ssseat."  
  
The masked man remained standing, arms crossed over his chest. "I have no time for pleasantries commander," he growled  
  
"Very well, then." Cobra Commander stood himself so he would not be in an inferior posture. "It ssseemss that there is a rat among the ssserpents."  
  
Destro smiled slightly to himself. "A rat, Commander? Are you worried? A rat is nothing more than a meal to a serpent."  
  
"Yesss." The Commander hissed as he walked around to the side of his desk. "Thiss isss true, unless the rat isss clever."  
  
"And who would this rat be, Commander?"  
  
"That issss for you to figure out Dessstro." The Commander grinned under his mask. If it was Destro, he was not flinching. "Yes, thisss rat isss clever. It even believes I don't know of the plan to undermine my rule. You sssee Desstro, no matter how clever the rat, the ssserpent is always ready for a meal."  
  
"If you are through with your euphemisms Commander, I have a celebration to return to."  
  
"Not yet." He returned to stand behind his desk. "I sssshould kill you for going against my ordersss." He pulled his gun from its holster and leveled it at Destro's chest. "You were ordered not to attack without reserves! And the lossss of an entire battalion is inexcusable!" "  
  
Again the masked man smiled coldly, nonplussed a weapon was trained on him. "I have handed you the greatest victory since the initial attack on their base so many years ago. In a single stroke I have wiped out the main resistance on the East Coast."  
  
"And that isss the only reason why you sssstill live." He caressed the gun with a gloved finger. "But disssobey again and I will not tolerate it! No matter what the objective or the outcome."  
  
"As you wish, Commander," he bowed and turned to leave then paused to look over his shoulder. "Oh and Commander? Do not underestimate the rat."  
  
The Commander remained standing for several moments after Destro departed, then retook his chair. "It ssseemss my dear that Dessstro hasss plansss of hisss own." He spoke without turning.  
  
"He is more dangerous than you suspect, Commander."  
  
"Azssss am I, Baronesss." He turned his chair to face the woman who had stepped out of her hiding place. "Now get out."  
  
"Yes Commander." She bowed and made her way into the hall and to the elevator. When the man fell instep beside her, she stayed silent until they were in the elevator and the doors closed. "You are a fool."  
  
"Perhaps I am my dear, but look how often the fool is the one who wins." Destro smiled down at her and she felt a chill go down her spine. "Our dear Commander is nearing the end of his usefulness, and I grow tired of his petty mind games."  
  
"And I of yours."  
  
He laughed. "Once you enjoyed my games."  
  
"I want no part of your treason." She snapped, moving to exit the elevator as the door opened. An arm suddenly appeared, blocking her way.  
  
Destro leaned in close and menacing. In tones for her ears only he pressed, "You are already part of it my dear Alexia, it's just a matter of will you do it willingly or will you need some persuasion?"  
  
She felt an ice-cold hand squeeze her heart in a vice. "I will do what is best for the Empire," she managed.  
  
"Then we understand each other." He dropped his arm, allowing her to leave the confines of the elevator. "Good day Baroness." He disappeared down a side hallway.  
  
She waited until she was certain he was gone, then pulling her cell phone out she punched the auto dial.  
  
"Yes ma'am?" Sarah's southern drawl tickled in her ear.  
  
"I need a package picked up." She paused. "It's a delicate matter."  
  
"I'll see to it right away."  
  
"And Sarah, I want you to personally deliver it."  
  
Hesitation came from the other end. "You sure?"  
  
"Yes, I am certain. This is to important to trust the normal currier service."  
  
"I'll hand it to them myself."  
  
"Thank you Sarah." Inside she felt some of the tension leave her as she ended the call. Her 'package' would be safe, and she could remain focused on other matters. 

* * *

  
Rissa LeBeau lay upon the cold rock ground of the mesa as she examined what remained of, until recently, had been their home. Her team had arrived nearly three days earlier and taken virtually ever minute of that time to verify that Cobra was out of the area. They had managed to avoid contact with the enemy thus far and Rissa planned to keep it that way Silently she assessed the terrain surrounding the area and with a heavy sigh she lowered her binoculars.  
  
"Well?" Vena Iron-Knife asked as she crawled up next to Rissa.  
  
"Do you want the honest answer or the candy-coated one?" She asked, her French-Canadian accent thick with concentration as she again raised her binoculars.  
  
Vena simply followed suit and raised her own binoculars, wincing as she took in the destruction for the first time. "I guess I know what the honest answer is." She adjusted her view higher. "Looks like the cavern above is still intact at least."  
  
Rissa nodded, "The outside is anyway, we have no way of knowing what it's like inside. Merde! What I wouldn't give for a infrared image now, then we would at least know if anyone's alive…"  
  
"You really think there's a chance?" Vena asked as she lowered her sites. "I mean it's been almost five days now."  
  
Rissa lowered and packed her own binoculars as she regarded the Native American next to her. "And it will be another five if we sit here and keep talking about it." She slung her pack over her shoulder.  
  
"You didn't answer my question."  
  
Rissa turned her green eyes meeting Vena's brown. "That there's a chance? There's always a chance, but I wouldn't put any money on it." 

* * *

  
He was teetering on the edge, had been for longer than Ann-Marie wanted to admit to herself. She had even lost count of the time they had been trapped in this rock prison. Sleep and waking melted the time into one painfully continuous experience. Glancing down she felt a twinge of guilt at the five empty bottles that had at one time held water, mixed in with the wrappers of the ration bars Mac had on him at the time of the attack. She was forever thankful that she had stashed them in the crevice for her and Blaine, and he had the ration bars, those two elements were the only reason they were still alive. She forced herself to take only the smallest of sips from their last remaining bottle before placing into Low-Light's hands.  
  
"Drink." She turned back to clearing rock around the small air tube she had managed to place, holding her small flashlight in her mouth.  
  
"Why?"  
  
She paused in her work, removing the flashlight before answering. "Why not?"  
  
The sniper snorted. "We've been here longer than you've told me. I ain't stupid Ann-Marie."  
  
"I never said you were." She shifted around to face him. "But you're sure acting like you are."  
  
"What?"  
  
"All this pity crap…"  
  
"Now wait a…"  
  
"Nuh uh…" She silenced him. "Your turn to shut-up and listen. So we're trapped, so maybe it's taking them longer to get to us. Hell, maybe everyone's been abducted by aliens."  
  
"Is there a point to this?" Mac interjected impatiently.  
  
Ann rolled her eyes. "If you'd stay quiet I'd get there. My point Cooper," She stressed his real name, to convey her seriousness, "is that we're still breathing and in one piece. It may stink a bit in here, but damn it, I plan to keep it that way."  
  
"Are you done yet?"  
  
"No," She snapped. "What about Shane? Doesn't he deserve his dad back?"  
  
Mac laughed, more of a croak with his dehydrated throat. "Me, back? The kid would rather see me six feet under…"  
  
"I take it back."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are stupid." She turned back to the air hose, wiggling it up and down to make sure it was still clear. She could faintly feel fresh air and it gave her hope. "And by the way, drink or I'll shove it down your damn throat."  
  
With a look of malice on his face Mac took his sip before tossing the bottle to the floor. "There, happy?"  
  
"Always, now…" She looked up sharply. "Did you hear that?"  
  
"Hear what?" He moved towards the direction he knew she was in. "I didn't…"  
  
"Shhhh…" She placed hear ear against the air hose. Please dear God don't let me be imagining things. She silently prayed. "Hot damn!" She cheered. "Mac ya want to go home?"  
  
"Don't joke about that."  
  
"It's no a joke." She pulled him over and had him listen.  
  
"Voices." He couldn't believe his own ears. "Or are we just cracking up?"  
  
Ann-Marie pushed her way back by the hose as she laughed. "I cracked along time ago, Blondie. If ya want proof just look at who I married." She grabbed the flex pipe and started moving it in earnest. 

* * *

  
Clutch was exhausted, but he couldn't imagine how the children felt. They had been on the move for nearly three days and slowly making their way to what Recondo assured him was the backup point. He glanced behind him to make sure everyone was keeping up and nodded to Savannah, who was bringing up the rear. His eyes swept over the nine children that had been placed in his care. From the stumbling steps of the younger ones he knew they would have to stop again soon and allow them to rest. He felt the child on his back shift slightly and he readjusted his grip so not to drop her.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Audra Hauser asked from some point behind him in the line.  
  
Clutch sighed; it was only the sixth time inside of a half hour she had asked that same question. "No, not yet, and remember what I told you?" He glanced back at the small red head.  
  
She nodded, "No talking." She made a motion of zipping her lips.  
  
"I want my mommy." Kiara whispered as she wrapped her hands tighter around Clutch's neck.  
  
"I know ya do kid." He smiled over his shoulder at her. "Not much further and we'll be there." He stopped abruptly when he caught Recondo's signal. Behind him, with the discipline of a troop of soldiers, the children took what cover they could find. He sat Kiara next to her sister and went to join the jungle trooper.  
  
"How would you like a hot meal and a semi-soft bed?" Daniel asked with a grin.  
  
"Get serious."  
  
"I am." He pointed to what appeared to be the remains of a rockslide. "There's home."  
  
"No guards?"  
  
From above him a soft chuckle drifted down. "You think we'd be that easy to find?" Clair Abernathy shouldered her rifle then jumped down from her perch. "Damn glad to see ya." A huge grin spread across her face as she embraced Recondo. "We didn't know if you got out or not."  
  
The jungle trooper returned the hug. "Barely. I got some priority deliveries from Mutt." He pointed behind him.  
  
"How many?"  
  
"Only nine, plus Savannah and Ethan. There's more coming in about three days behind us."  
  
Clair's smile grew as one by one the children emerged. "I know a few people who are going to be happy to see you."  
  
Clutch kneeled down and allowed Kiara to wrap her arms around his neck again. "What ya say we find your folks?" With the first smile Clutch had seen on the girls face, she nodded. "Come on kids, let's go home." 

* * *

  
Rissa shook her head sadly as she watched the number bodies her team recovered continued to rise. Her team had yet to find any survivors and they were running out of places to look.  
  
"Riss," Alpine sighed deeply from behind the bandana he wore over his mouth and nose as they all did against the smell of death. Still, the smell was enough to make stomachs turn. He came up beside her. "Medical is demolished, no way of knowing who got out and who didn't."  
  
"No way to ID anyone?" She asked without turning away as two team members carried in the body of a dark haired youth in a blanket serving as a stretcher.  
  
"No, not enough left." He followed her gaze and froze. "Jeb." He walked over as they laid the boy on the floor of what was the mess hall cavern. "Where?"  
  
"Main line." Vena said as she came in. "But I need you and Rissa to come with me, there's something you need to see." They followed Vena through the passages to the small cave that had served as someone's living quarters. Inside, shrouded by once what was a curtain, was a body.  
  
Rissa took a deep breath before pulling the shroud down. "Shit." She whispered as she blinked back tears. Beside her Alpine mumbled a prayer.  
  
"Head shot, behind the ear," Vena went on. "I say he was executed."  
  
"Doesn't matter." Rissa said as she recovered the body. She turned away and caught sight of an object on the blood covered floor. Bending down she picked up the beret and added to her pack. "I'll be in the command cavern."  
  
"Not much of that left either," Alpine called after her.  
  
She followed the winding corridors wincing at the pattern of destruction around her. She could remember when she had been here not less than a month ago and heard children laughing, now there was only the eerie silence of the dead, and occasional noises of the living recovering them. She nodded to a group that had been working at clearing the rubble away from the Command Center and with a cautious glance at the unstable ceiling above her, she entered.  
  
"We haven't found anything in here Riss." One of the searchers informed her as she entered. "Nothing could have survived the cave-in anyway."  
  
"I'll look for myself all the same Justin, go give Alpine a hand." She glanced about the room and had to admit the guy had a point, aside from one small corner that seemed to have been spared, the room and it's equipment was a loss. A lone office chair was in the corner, Ann-Marie's if she recognized it correctly. With a weary sigh she swept the debris off and sat on it running a hand through her short blond hair. "Give it up LeBeau, place is nothing but a—" she muttered to herself, but stopped abruptly when her eyes caught a small movement. "What the?" She stood and watched again in case her tired mind was playing tricks on her. "You're imagining things, Cheri." She was about to turn away when she saw the movement again. She crawled up on the pile of rubble to get closer, now seeing a small tube that was protruding from the rocks. "Anyone in there?" She shouted. The tube shook violently. "Hang on we'll get you out!" With strength beyond her exhaustion she started grabbing rocks and tossing them aside as she shouted into her radio. "Survivors! We have survivors in Command!"  
  
She clutched Mac's rifle close, ready to pull the trigger at the first sign of enemy. Inside her heart pounded as she waited for their rescuers to be revealed. If it's Cobra I'm takin' some of those bastards with me. She silently swore as she clicked the safety off. It seemed like an eternity before the first rays of a high beam flashlight broke into their rocky prison, outside she could hear the voices clearer now and relief washed over her as a very familiar face appeared in the small opening.  
  
"Anyone in there?" Alpine squinted into the darkness of the tunnel.  
  
"Hell yes!" Ann shouted as she set the rifle aside and let out the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. "And damn it, Alpine even your ugly mug is looking good!"  
  
"What's happening?" Mac asked from deeper in the shadows.  
  
"They're digging us out Mac!" She turned a plastered a sloppy kiss on the sniper's mouth. "Damn it! Were going home!"  
  
"Home?" Mac smiled but the smile was quick to disappear. "They're digging?"  
  
"Yeah." Ann-Marie turned and looked out the opening the rescue team had managed to make so far.  
  
"Where's the lights?"  
  
Ann turned back at Low-Light's tone. Oh God! He'll know now! "Mac, listen to me, and listen to me carefully. I think the flash grenade blinded you temporarily." I hope. She added silently.  
  
"Where's the light?" He voice was edged with fear.  
  
She grabbed his shoulders and put her face close his, her eyes boring into his sightless ones. Speaking clearly and calmly, she said, "Cooper stay calm. We're almost out." She silently willed the diggers to move faster.  
  
He breathing increased as the buried panic that had haunted him since childhood erupted. "Where is the fuckin' light!"  
  
Ann turned and looked up as the hole opened up enough to get them through. She stood upright into the short tunnel and was pulled out by Alpine's waiting arms. "Mac's…"  
  
"I heard." Was all the mountaineer said as he carried Ann off to the waiting team medic, leaving Rissa in his place.  
  
"Hey…" She looked over Alpine's shoulder. "Mac."  
  
"I can't see!"  
  
"I know," Rissa calmly crawled down into the small pocket of rock, gagging for a moment on the stench of two live bodies trapped for five days. "But what ya say we get ya out of here?"  
  
The sniper that most knew as cold and unrelenting seemed to shrink in on himself. "I don't know that voice." His panic began to rise again as his hands franticly searched for his rifle.  
  
"I'm Clarissa LeBeau. Rissa to my friends." She slowly eased forward again. "Looks like you could use some rest there Low-Light."  
  
"How do I know you're who you say you are?" His hand griped the stock of his rifle when they brushed the cool metal.  
  
Rissa watched his hand closely, ready to move if she needed to. "You don't." She felt Alpine lean down the tunnel behind her, and nudge her shoulder. She turned and he handed her a syringe. Returning her attention to Low-Light, she continued. "But if we were Cobra you'd be dead already."  
  
The sniper shook his head. "Not if ya want information." The rifle moved, he was targeting on the sound of her voice.  
  
"Low-Light, it's me, Alpine. It's cool man. Just trust her."  
  
"What ya say we get out of this hole and talk outside?" She slowly crawled forward, her free hand reaching for his rifle. "Listen to my voice… that's it." "Just a little further." She grabbed the barrel as his rifle came to bear.  
  
"I ain't no ones prisoner!"  
  
"Now!" Alpine shouted and Rissa yanked, ripping the rifle from Mac's hands. "This is for your own good, Mac." He called as Rissa threw her shoulder into his chest and trapped him against the rock wall.  
  
Mac felt the needle pierce his skin and the icy cold of the drug as it flowed into his thigh. One by one his muscles failed to do what he demanded of them as his consciousness slipped away and he fell into the darkness of his mind. 

* * *

  
Bill had never been a man to give into his fear, or let those around him know that he was afraid. However, he could feel the grip it had on his heart as one by one the group from the main line appeared and he had yet to set eyes on his youngest son. He had been relived when he found first Dustin and then Cammy alive and well, now he watched and waited for Jeb to walk through the entrance with his familiar grin and hear all about the grand escape he had made. He worked his way to what had been set up as a medical ward, and paused at the entrance. He had thought that the hospital at the caves had been unorganized, but compared to what he now set eyes on it quickly went up several notches in his estimation. Wounded were crammed into whatever space could be granted them. Beds were few and far between, with most of the victims placed on tattered blankets on the floor. In all it was a not the first place Bill would want to be if he was wounded.  
  
He caught sight of Cammy as she helped tend some of the patients and nodded at her when she glanced up and smiled tiredly. He made his way to a bed placed against the far wall and glanced down at the man that occupied it.  
  
Grunt was pale, breathing fast and shallow. Bill knew the signs well enough to know that man was not long for this world, even though he had just entered it. He squatted down to be level with the dying man that had asked for him. "Hey Robert."  
  
"Bill…" Grunt latched onto Bill's hand and pulled him closer. "Have to tell you."  
  
"Tell me what?" Bill leaned in so to better hear the faint words.  
  
"So sorry. We tried…" he gasped for breath, "…to reach him."  
  
Bill felt a fist slam into his chest, knocking his heart into his throat. Swallowing, dreading the words that might come, he whispered, "Reach who, Grunt?"  
  
The man wheezed as breath became harder for him to draw. "Sorry… tried… save… Jeb…"  
  
"What? What about Jeb?" Bill demanded, his ears not believing what they had just heard. "Grunt?" He shook the man, but he was far beyond responding.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
His head shot up at the sound of his daughter's voice. Oh God, did she hear? "Cammy," he tried to quickly compose himself. "I didn't know you were there."  
  
She looked at the bed and back to her father. "Jeb?"  
  
He could see the unshed tears glistening in her brown eyes and all he could do was avert his own and shake his head.  
  
Cammy could feel the tears as they streamed down her cheeks, not caring if others saw her crying or not. All she knew was that she had lost another brother to this damn war. She glanced at her father and could see the lost look in his face. She knew that his mind was turning to how he would have to tell her mother that they had been forced to bury another child. Suddenly she felt the need to do anything but look at her father or accept the fact that she would never see Jeb again.  
  
She ran. 

* * *

  
MacKay pulled the door to his lord's retreat open and motioned for the one he escorted to precede him into the humid room. "Lord Destro awaits you within Baroness."  
  
The woman gave him the slightest of nods and entered into the mass foliage that clung to the room's walls. She could hear soft music playing in the background and recognized it as a waltz. She caught sight of the man who had summoned her. He was sitting before a chess set, upon which he seemed to be concentrating. "Come, my dear, join me," he said without looking up.  
  
She walked over and took the second chair that waited before the marble table. "I trust there was good reason to wake me from my bed."  
  
"Would you care for some wine my dear?" He motioned towards the glass that sat before her.  
  
"What I would care for, is the reason I was brought here in the middle of the night."  
  
"Do you play chess Alexia?" He glanced to the board between them.  
  
The Baroness sipped her wine as she mentally attempted to follow Destro's motives. "As a child I did." She picked up the black queen turning it in her fingers. "But I lost interest as I grew older."  
  
"Pity." Destro leaned back in his chair. "It is a game of the mind, my dear. It is a contest of who will be the first to discover the secret moves the other hides from them."  
  
She felt her heart speed up for a moment from his words. "I never thought of it that way." She set the queen back upon the board.  
  
The masked man smiled. "The board is much like life. One move can mean defeat or victory for the player." He moved his king forward. "But the trick to winning is anticipating the moves of your enemy." His eyes locked on hers. "Or who your enemies are, for that matter."  
  
"I would not make such accusations Destro, unless you have proof to back up such charges." The crystal stem shattered as she slammed her wine glass down. "I am loyal to the empire."  
  
Destro laughed, a laugh that sent a chilly echo through the room. "Then my dear Alexia, it is time to prove your loyalty to me." 

* * *

  
Pain.  
  
That was the first thought that intruded into the blackness that shrouded her mind. Pain, quickly followed by confusion. She knew she was alive; the blinding pain was enough to prove that. But where was she? How did she get here? Voices murmured around her, none of them were familiar. Had she been captured? No, her mind managed to dismissed that thought, capture would have equaled death.  
  
Her last memory was clutching a crying child to her as she attempted to stumble out of the caves. She had no memory of getting out or even losing consciousness. Yet somehow here she was, alive, and in one piece for the most part. She forced her mind to focus and managed to open her eyes enough to realize that she was in a dimly lit room and apparently not alone. She could hear the voices moving closer now and even make out some of the words they spoke.  
  
"Miracle she's alive." A female voice whispered. "If you hadn't found her when you did Jason…"  
  
"I know." A man's voice, one that held a slight familiarity to her. "How much longer till I can move her Trish?"  
  
"A few more days at the least…"  
  
The rest of the conversation faded into the echoes of her mind as she again drifted a bit into the darkness. Ahhh… She thought, at least they have names now. She tried to move her head towards the voices but found that her muscles weren't ready to obey her commands quiet yet. Instead more pain shot through her body sending a gasp of air past her lips and alerting the voices she was awake.  
  
Hands were quick to restrain her from anymore attempted movement. "Don't move too much." The woman, Trish, gently spoke as she brushed water across her lips. "You'll start to bleed again if you pull the stitches."  
  
She gratefully swallowed the meager liquid and felt a slight relief from the parchness in her throat. "Girl?" She asked, her voice raspy.  
  
"She's fine," Jason answered as he came into her line of sight. "Just a little frightened."  
  
"Where… am I?"  
  
Trish brushed more water across her lips. "You're safe here. I haven't lost a patient to Cobra yet and you won't be the first, dear."  
  
Jason nodded at Trish's statement. "Once you're well enough I'll get you back with your unit." He paused. "Sorry I don't know your name."  
  
She cleared her throat and could feel the darkness regaining its grip on her mind as her vision began to fade. She latched onto reality for a brief moment. "Courtney."  
  
Pain. 

* * *

  
Sarah glanced over at the 'package' Alexia had entrusted her with. She knew what would happen if Destro's men caught her with it, but Sarah also knew she would die before they would lay a hand on the girl. She tenderly brushed the child's blond hair from her face and snuggled the blanket closer. She had been waiting here for five hours now with Katerina and was growing nervous. The longer she waited the more likely Cobra would find her.  
  
"Nana?" Kat opened her dark brown eyes, looking up at Sarah.  
  
"I'm here." Sarah smiled reassuringly at the girl. "It won't be much longer." She grabbed a bag of rations from her pack and tore it open before handing it to the hungry three-year-old. "You eat up. " She startled when there was a knock on the door. She picked Kat up and hid her behind the crate she had been sleeping on. "Stay there," she instructed. As she moved towards the door she pulled her sidearm out and released the safety. "We don't need any magazines here."  
  
"How 'bout a newspaper, ma'am?" A very familiar voice replied with the counter code.  
  
Sarah threw the door open and nearly fainted at the sight of her husband standing there before her. It had been over a year since she had last set eyes on his face. "Bill…" She reached out needing to touch him to see if he was real.  
  
"Umm… I hate to break this up, but can we come in? Before we're seen?"  
  
Sarah gasped at the man behind her husband. "Steeler? But you're… you're…"  
  
"Yeah, so I've been told."  
  
"Alexia informed me, but I didn't believe her." She motioned them in, shutting and locking the door behind them. She looked closer at her husband and felt a chill go up her spin. The happiness she expected in seeing her again wasn't there, and the light was dimmed in his eyes. Last time he had been like this was the day BJ had died. She shook herself, pulling her mind back to the job at hand. "With you here this is more difficult, Steeler."  
  
The man looked confused. "Why's that."  
  
She moved to the crate, bending down and picking Kat up. "Your package." The girl clung to Sarah as she regarded the two strangers in front of her.  
  
Bill looked shocked for a moment, then recovered. "Destro's that close to Alexia?"  
  
Sarah nodded solemnly "An' before ya say it, no I won't pull out."  
  
"Excuse me," Steeler interjected. "Someone care to tell me what's going on?"  
  
Bill flashed Sarah a we'll-talk-later look. "This is Alexia's daughter and if Destro finds her…"  
  
"Who's the father? No wait, don't answer that. I think I know." He looked at the child. "Hey there."  
  
Kat hid her face in Sarah's shoulder. "She never knew him. She was only six months old when he died."  
  
"We won't be able to stay long… maybe ten minutes." Bill's voice cut through the silence. "There was a patrol not to far from here."  
  
Sarah nodded and sat the child down on her feet. "Steeler, would you mind watching her? I need to talk to Bill alone."  
  
"Uhhh," He looked at the small human that looked like him. "Sure."  
  
Kat looked up at the man and seemed to think for a moment before holding her arms and smiling. "Up!"  
  
Sarah led Bill to the far side of the room; it was that only privacy they were going to get. "I never thought they would send you." She caressed his cheek.  
  
"I asked to come." He held her hand to his cheek. "I hoped that Alexia had sent ya. " He glanced over at Steeler and Kat. "If she's scared enough to move Kat I want you out now."  
  
"No," Sarah sharply shook her head. "That would only draw more attention to her. I ain't stupid. Bill I can take care of myself."  
  
He brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "I don't want to lose you Sarah."  
  
"You won't."  
  
He pulled her as close as he possible could. "I can't lose you."  
  
Sarah looked up at her husband. "I missed you, more than I can say." She leaned into his kiss. "I was terrified I lost you or the kids in the raid." She felt him tense. "Bill?" She looked up sharply. "What's wrong? Tell me."  
  
He closed his eyes taking a deep breath. "Sarah…"  
  
"Camille? Dustin?" He shook his head. "Jeb?" His eyes told her the answer. "No…" She whispered.  
  
"He was on the main line when it fell." Bill cleared his throat fighting back his own emotions. "They were getting ready to pull back when… when a missile hit"  
  
Sarah just stared at him, shaking her head. "No…"  
  
"I'm sorry Sarah."  
  
"How could you? How could you let him…let him…"  
  
Bill grabbed her as her legs gave out and held her to him as she cried. "I'm sorry…"  
  
"No!" She shoved him away. "Please, no."  
  
With tender hands he brushed away her tears. "He wanted to be there Sarah. He wanted to make sure others got out. He was there before I had a chance to tell him otherwise."  
  
"How many more will we bury William?" She laid her head on his chest. "I don't think I'll survive loosing them all."  
  
"I know darlin'. I know."  
  
"Bill…" Steeler's voice broke their solitude. "We better move it."  
  
The cowboy nodded, "We'll get her to them safely, I promise. Tell Alexia."  
  
Sarah reluctantly left her husbands embrace. "And you tell Cammy and Dustin that I love them."  
  
"They know baby, they know." He pulled her in for another kiss. "I love ya Sarah."  
  
She held him tight a moment longer. "Keep your head down cowboy."  
  
She watched in silence as they left and in the darkness of an empty shack, Sarah McCorbin, the woman once known as Dallas, wept alone.


	8. Ashes of the Road Unknown

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_I'm walkin' a wire feels like a thousand ways I could fall  
To want is to buy but to live is to die and it can't take it all  
When everything is said and done I won't have one thing left  
What happened to everything that I've ever known?_

_Cause all they gave me was this ticket to heaven  
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make  
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything  
I'm running from everything  
I'm afraid it's a little too late_

_Soft voices lie and innocence dies  
Now ain't that a shame  
Then all of your dreams, and all your money they don't mean a thing  
When everything is said and done you wont have one thing left  
What happened to everything that I've ever known?_

_All they gave me was this ticket to heaven  
But that ticket said to lie in the bed that you make  
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything  
I'm afraid it's a little too late  
It's a little too late…  
 **Ticket to Heaven: By Arnold, Roberts, and Harrell** _

Darkness. Shane reveled in it. It was his one place of solitude from his father. He sat in the shadows, his mind turmoil of thoughts. He was unsure of what he was feeling, and that wasn’t what he had expected. He heard the man before he saw Snake-Eyes appear in the shadows. “Whatever it is I don’t wanna hear it,” he growled.  
  
The silent man cocked his head slightly. _“I was just wondering. How does it feel Shane?”_ He signed.  
  
“What, being alive? Fine.”   
  
_“No. How does it feel to get your wish?”  
_   
The boy balked at his question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
  
 _“Yes you do. Your father.”  
_   
Shane shrugged. “What about him?”   
  
_“You wished he would die and now he probably has.”  
  
_ “Just means I don’t have to deal with his shit anymore.” Shane turned to walk away.  
  
With an angry motion Snake-Eyes reached up and pulled the mask from his head. _“Look at me Shane.”_ He grabbed the boy’s shoulder, spinning him back to face him and gripped his chin, forcing him to look. _“Do you want to turn into this?“  
_   
“What?!” Shane struggled against the painful grasp.   
  
_“This is what you will look like if you keep this hate for your father. It’s eating you alive.”  
_   
“Let go!” Shane kicked out to try and escape the iron hold. Snake-Eyes did little more than grunt at the impact. “I…”  
  
Snake-Eyes made a gesture with his free hand that more or less indicated, “Admit it” then released the boy.   
  
“What? That I didn’t want him to die? That I don’t hate him?”   
  
_“Yes.”_ He pulled his mask back on. _“It’s simple to admit in anger isn’t it?”  
  
_ Shane blinked as he regarded the man before him, the man he had idolized. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about it, let alone feel anything other than hate for his father. However, another emotion now battled for supremacy in his mind. Fear. Fear that he would never see his father again. After years of hate and selfishness he was getting a glimmer of what his father felt the day his mom and sister had died.   
  
_“What do you feel Shane?”_ Snake-Eyes asked.   
  
“I don’t know.” He slowly slid down the wall to the dirt floor. “I never meant for him to hate me.”   
  
The masked man kneeled before the young man, placing a hand on his shoulder. _“You directed your anger out at the first person you saw that day Shane. There is no blame for what you felt, but it is time that you stopped hiding from it.”  
  
_ “I never got to tell him.” Shane looked up at the masked man. “He didn’t know.”  
  
 _“No Shane. He knew, deep inside he knew.”  
_   
“Shane! Thank God I found you!” Savannah LeClair burst in upon the solitude. “I need you.”  
  
“What?” Shane looked at her confused. “I ain’t babysitting.”  
  
“No,” she shook her head. “It’s Asia, she woke up screaming and no one can stop her.”   
  
“What makes ya think I can?”  
  
The girl simply grabbed him arm and tugged him up from the floor, dragging him after her. “Just shut up and move it, MacBride.”  
  
With reluctant steps he followed the girl to a large tunnel offshoot that had been set up as an infirmary. He recognized several of the people lying in the tattered beds, and his eyes stopped on one that was draped in the corner. “Who?” He asked.  
  
Savannah followed his line of vision and sighed. “Grunt. He died this morning.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Last thing he was muttering over and over before he went comatose was about Jeb, like he had to make sure Bill knew. It’s weird, losing him _again_.”   
  
“Yeah,” Shane nodded his eyes not moving from the dingy sheet shrouding the body, his mind suddenly flew to the image of another body, covered and lifeless. It was the scream that pierced his hearing that yanked him back to reality.  
  
“Asia,” Savannah said without him even asking. “She’s towards the back.”   
  
Shane moved towards the sound of the anguished scream. He had never even heard that girl make a simple sigh, let alone mutter a single word. He pulled the haphazardly hanging curtain that someone had been thoughtful enough to hang around her bed. The girl didn’t even notice him as she fought against the woman who was trying to restrain her. He could tell from her face that she was absolutely terrified. Of what, was a puzzlement.   
  
“Thank God.” the woman declared in relief when she noticed Shane standing there. “Maybe you can calm her down.” She released her hold on Asia slightly.  
  
Asia felt the grip relax and in an instant, she was off the cot and huddled in a corner. Her screams continued as tears streamed down her face. She curled further into a ball as the lady tried to reach for her again.   
  
“It’s alright dear, I’m just trying to help.”  
  
In reply the girl shook her head and crawled so close to the tunnel wall that Shane swore she would fade into the rock and dirt. He simply sat on the bed and watched her as she swayed back and forth. “Maybe if ya left us alone,” he said to the woman who waited nearby. The lady simply nodded and disappeared around the curtain, pulling it securely behind her, secluding them in the small space. Shane watched as Asia’s brown eyes focused on him and suddenly she became the silent girl he had always known. “Hey kid.” He sank down to the floor to be at her level before speaking. “I guess I ain’t the only one with nightmares huh?”  
  
She regarded him with eyes mature beyond her years. In them he could see the pain, the fear, the loneliness of her life. She had, for the second time in eight years, watched as her entire world shattered and again she was left to survive. She gazed at the young man before her and saw the same pain in his own eyes, and like she had always done, she pushed back her own feelings and crawled into his lap.   
  
Shane stiffened when the kid simply settled herself onto his person. He wasn’t sure how to react to her, or for that matter, what she even wanted. Then he heard it.  
  
“Sad.”   
  
The voice was so soft it could have been simply a trick of the wind, only there was none down in the tunnels. He looked down to see her watching him. “No, I’m just tired.” He tried to shrug off the look she gave him.   
  
She shook her head.  
  
“What?”   
  
“Alone,” She sniffled as her tears again began to well up. “Like me.”   
  
He suddenly felt his own tears filling his eyes. “Guess that makes us two of a kind,” he whispered. Asia cocked her head slightly and cuddled further into his lap. Shane reached behind him to take the blanket off the cot and wrapped it around her, watching as her eyes slowly drifted shut. As an after thought, he added, “but maybe, we ain’t as alone as we thought.”   
  
She answered with silence. 

* * * * * 

Conrad Hauser leaned back in his chair; he was tired, not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Of listening to reports, of hearing nothing but more news of those who had died. In the back of his mind the silent fear gnawed at his sanity… he still had no word about either Shana or the twins. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but not knowing was killing him. He had been glad when Shane and Snake-Eyes had made it in with their group. However the joy had quickly evaporated at learning of two of the wounded they carried. Last he had been updated Lifeline and Grunt were still critical. It had been a battle to separate Asia from Shane, she had clutched the boy so hard he had bruises around his neck. Shane disappeared not long after that, Snake-Eyes forbidding anyone from following with a gesture that meant business.  
  
Duke understood how the boy felt; he must being experiencing the same anguish Duke felt, despite the kid’s denial of such. The sound of voices outside the curtain that separated his office from the cluttered main tunnel pulled him from his reverie. He was about to investigate when the cover was tossed aside and Clutch walked in, smiling. “Lance.” Duke reached out taking the man’s hand in a hearty shake. “Glad to see ya made it out of there.”   
  
“Same here, but that’s not the reason I checked in. I’m just here to deliver something.” Clutch turned towards the curtain. “Get in here, you two.”  
  
“Deliver some…” He never finished his question as two identical red heads burst into the room at a run. “Audra! Kiara!” He dropped to his knees, quickly gathering his daughters into a tight embrace.   
  
“Daddy!” They echoed in chorus as they clung to him, neither wanting to be the first to let go.   
  
Duke looked up at Clutch with eyes expressing thanks as the other man made his exit from the reunion. He held the girls at arms length. “Let me look at you.” Aside from being filthy and looking extremely tired, they seemed no worse for wear.   
  
Kiara looked up at her father. “Mommy?”   
  
Duke felt the vice grip his heart again. “She’s not here yet baby.”   
  
“Did the bad men hurt her?” Audra asked tears welling up in her blue eyes. “Like Uncle Hector?”   
  
“I don’t know.” _Please be all right Shana._ He stood, hefting both girls with him. “Come on, let’s find you two something to eat and get a bath.” 

* * * * * 

The abandoned mine had at one time been nothing more than a mound of dirt waiting to fall and bury anyone that would have bothered entering it. The Joes had located it not long after they lost the headquarters and for a time it had served as their main base, until better caves had been found. It had little in privacy that the former hideaway had offered. The sleeping area was a large widening in the main tunnel, with people coming and going at all times of day. The adults were forced to now sleep in shifts; the younger children were piled two or three to a cot when possible. Only the wounded remained undisturbed in an offshoot tunnel. Food and water supplies were strictly rationed, with only the youngest children escaping the restrictions. However, despite the circumstances the survivors found themselves in, no one complained; most were just happy to be alive.  
  
Clutch wandered into what served as a duel mess hall and common room. He placed his pack off to the side with a pile of other packs and grabbed his allowed rations from the person minding them. He glanced about, attempting to find a spot away from the mass of people that seemed to fill the space. His eyes stopped when they caught sight of a familiar figure in the dim lighting.  
  
Bethany stood frozen. She was frightened, overjoyed, angry, relieved, and a hundred other emotions. This was the man who haunted her dreams the entire flight to safety. The man who had demanded she decide to either live or die in a single moment. He was her nightmare, her savior. He suddenly _was_ Lance.   
  
“Charlie!” Libby shouted excitedly, pointing. “It’s Dad!” The young girl looked up at her mother. “Momma?”  
  
Beth looked down at her daughters. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed locking herself away from them for so long. Charlene had grown far beyond her age in being forced to care for Libby and herself. Olivia had been only four when she had lost her father and shunned by a grieving mother. Now the girl looked up at her mother with so much love in her eyes that it tore at Beth’s heart for the pain she had put them through. She looked back to the man staring at her and without a second thought, ran and threw herself into his arms.  
  
Clutch was knocked back by the force of her impact and had to grab her around the waist to keep her from falling. “Ummm…hi Beth.”  
  
She reached up caressed his cheek, her eyes locked onto his. “You came back.”   
  
“I said I would.” He reminded her with a smile.   
  
Timidly, her hand moved to his neck and she pulled his lips to hers. The kiss was full and sweet as she bent into his body. Reluctantly she ended the kiss, then before he could say anything, she pulled back and slapped him.  
  
“Hey!” He rubbed his cheek in confusion. “What the hell was that for?”  
  
She gently laid her hand on his. “For scaring the hell out of me.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she rested her head against his chest. “Welcome home Lance.” 

* * * * * 

A knot formed in Sarah’s stomach as she pulled the car into the driveway of the Baroness’ estate. The darkness of the house was unusual, for there was always some lighting on to ward off the shadows of the city. She warily placed the vehicle in park, glancing around as she pulled her sidearm from her bag. Without looking down, she made sure that the safety was off and the chamber loaded. Her unrest increased as she cautiously got out of her car, walked to the door of the house, and opened the door to the darkened interior.  
  
She listened just inside the door for a few long moments, holding her breath as she strained to hear within the hallway. She set her bag down and silently moved to the arched entry of the den. As she reached for the light switch, a footstep sounded from the shadows behind.  
  
“Welcome my dear, it is so good of you to join us.”   
  
She swung her gun to bear on the spot from which the voice came and fired off a shot that thundered painfully loud in the closed hallway. From behind her an arm snapped around her neck, throwing her aim askew. She reacted automatically with a grunt, kicking back and up. Her heel connected with her captor’s groin and she fell away forward as he went down with a gurgling groan.  
  
She moved quickly, crawling into the den on all fours and flinging herself behind the sofa, cursing as her recently healed shoulder slammed against the corner of an end table. Heartbeats pounded in her ears as she attempted to locate a point of escape from the room and suddenly realized she was trapped. With only one door in and out she would be cut down before she even stepped into the hallway. The only other option remaining to her was the window. She gripped her gun tighter, took a deep breath and dove.  
  
She stifled a scream into a gasp at the pain as the glass cut through her skin and the landed in a heap on the damp grass below. “Get up and move Sarah!” She ordered herself as she staggered to her feet. She could hear the troopers as they poured out the front entrance and were making a beeline towards her. The adrenaline helped her shove the pain to the back of her mind as she forced her bleeding body to move.   
  
“She came out over here sir!”   
  
MacKay nodded as his eyes followed the trail of dark blood that his prey had left behind. “She makes it too easy.” He raised his rifle and glanced through his night scoop. “I was hoping for more of a hunt.” Sighing, he pulled the trigger.  
  
The hot pain of bullet ripping through flesh and muscle knocked her off her feet and onto the hard concrete ground. Unable to stifle the scream of pain, she rolled and attempted to force her body to get up, to get away. She could hear the dull thud of running feet of her pursuers closing in. Realizing the inevitable, she grabbed her sidearm from where it had dropped and placed the barrel against her temple. “Forgive me Bill.” She whispered as she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger 

* * * * * 

She heard the crunching of the rocks behind her and knew that he had come to make sure she was okay, not to intrude. Cammy brushed her brown hair out of her eyes as the wind picked up. She didn’t turn when he sat next to her on the wide rock, she just kept looking at the setting sun.   
  
“Hey kid.” Clutch glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Wanna talk about it?”  
  
“Not really.” She pushed some loose rocks around on the dirt with a stick. “I’d rather be alone actually.”  
  
“Sorry, can’t do that kid.”  
  
“Why?” She looked over for the first time, a piercing glare. “What difference does it make to ya?”  
  
He stilled her hand. “I see the rude kid I first met is back.”  
  
“What do ya care?” She snapped. “Ya don’t know me.”  
  
“Doesn’t mean I can’t care kid. Look, it’s not easy losing someone. I know first hand. I lost a good friend back there… almost like a brother.”  
  
She turned away quickly so he wouldn’t see the tears. “He wasn’t even fourteen yet. He was just a kid.”  
  
Clutch wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “None of ya are kids, Cammy. Not anymore. Ya ain’t been for a long time.”   
  
She looked at him, tears spilling out over her dusty cheeks. “I’m scared,” She finally whispered.  
  
“I know kid,” he replied as he wrapped his jacket around her. “But you want to know somethin’? We all are.”   
  
She looked back at the fading light in it’s colorful glory. “Jeb loved watching the sunsets. Said it reminded him of what it was like… before. I never knew what he meant ‘til now.”   
  
“What ya say we watch this one for Jeb?”  
  
Cammy nodded as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. “I miss my little brother.” 

* * * * * 

No one challenged them as they silently trudged into the mines, a sign that they were recognized. Most were too exhausted to do more than trail the person in front of them, clinging to the hope that perhaps they would be allowed to lay their weary bodies down before they collapsed. Shana Hauser looked back over her shoulder at those following her and felt her heart constrict at the memory of those they had been forced to leave behind dead or beyond help. Kay had done what she could to make those left comfortable until the end came, although she had frowned when Mercer had granted two of the civilians’ pleas for mercy.   
  
The group entered the common area and were instantly surrounded by personnel on duty, taking packs and leading individuals to empty sleeping spots before promising that food and water would soon come.  
  
“They’re well organized,” Dusty observed as he came up beside her and watched as everyone was attended to. “You look beat, Red.”   
  
She nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. “Like an egg in a cake mix.” She looked at Dusty. “Go find your family, Rudat. That’s an order.”   
  
The man smiled back. “You sure? I mean there’s a lot to see to yet.”   
  
“Go, before I have them haul you off.” She watched as the former desert soldier trotted off into the darkness of the tunnels. Forcing her own thoughts from that of her family, she looked off to her left. “Kay?” She waved the woman over.   
  
“You can drop the tough act, Shana.” Kay commented as she strode up to her. “I know you’re worried to death about Duke and the girls.”   
  
The mask disappeared from Shana’s face for a brief instant as she regarded the petite woman before her. “I have to make sure everyone is settled first, then see to the wounded…”  
  
Kay snorted. “Bullshit, you’re just stalling. I will see to the wounded and Mercer is handling everything else.” She took Shana by the shoulders and gently shoved her towards one of the helpers. Leaving Shana out of the discussion, she asked the man, “Would you make sure she finds her husband ASAP?”   
  
“Kay…”  
  
“Sorry, can’t hear you.” Kay spun on her heel and went after the procession of wounded down the tunnel. 

* * * * * 

“You did very well, MacKay.” Destro purred as he examined the barely clothed prisoner hanging before him. “It was fortunate that you managed to stop her suicide.”  
  
The viper bowed. “It was nothing my lord. Simply a matter of timing.”  
  
“Still, a second later and we would have lost what information is hiding in her pretty head.” He placed his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “It’s a pity that you proved to be a traitor Miss McCorbin… or shall I call you Dallas?” The woman narrowed her brown eyes in hatred and spat into the face of her captor. “I see we haven’t taken all the fight from you.” He looked to his minion. “Leave us, MacKay.”  
  
“As you wish, my lord.” The viper bowed and left the cell with a dull clang of the metal door.   
  
Destro moved to the far wall and reached for the leather whip hanging upon a hook. “Oh how I do wish that you would cooperate, my dear. I would hate to mar that beautiful skin of yours.”  
  
“Fuck you.” Sarah growled out through swollen lips. Her body, already cut and bruised from her attempted escape, throbbed with each heartbeat. Her already aching arms screamed in protesting pain as Destro grabbed her and spun her on the chains. She could feel the nausea intensifying in her stomach from the gyrating room, and quickly bit back the urge to vomit.   
  
“It would be easier if you just tell me where the survivors are.” He stopped the spinning with a painful jolt to her arms. “It would spare you much unnecessary pain.”   
  
Sarah regarded the masked man through anger-filled brown eyes. “I wouldn’t give ya the time of day.”   
  
“More’s the pity.” As strode around behind her.  
  
The whip sent streaks of fire across her skin, and she drew blood from her lips in attempt to bite back the screams that eventually burst forth. She could feel the burning lines melding into one sheet of pain as the leather cut again and again into her back. Just as she teetered on the edge of consciousness, the whip stopped. She closed her eyes, shaking in the effort to stop the white-hot pain that caressed her nerves.   
  
“Where are they, Miss McCorbin?” She opened her eyes to see two masked men standing before her, floating in and out of focus. He held up the bloodied whip. “Tell me, and the pain will stop. Continue to defy me, and it will only grow worse... much worse.”   
  
It took a moment for her get enough air into her lungs to find her voice. “Ain’t talkin’,” she gasped out.  
  
She floated on the edge between oblivion and pain. In time she became numb, the shock taking control as her system slowly began to shut down. She had no notion of the passage of time; only the snap-crack of the leather reminded her she still existed in the land of the living.   
  
“You are stronger than I thought.” Destro said as he replaced the whip on the hook. He grabbed her jaws and forced her eyes roughly upward to his. “It is truly a pity to have to kill you, my dear. You would have been an excellent operative for Cobra.”   
  
Her eyes narrowed suddenly and with the last bit of strength from somewhere deep inside, she kicked out, smiling as her foot connected with Destro’s abdomen, knocking the wind from him.   
  
“You shouldn’t have done that.” He growled once he regained his breath. Drawing a hand back, Destro slammed it into her face.   
  
Knowing she couldn’t avoid the impact, she did the only thing she could and braced herself. A loud _crack_ sounded as Sarah went swinging back on her chains. “That all ya got…” She challenged, despite the pain.  
  
The masked man smiled cruelly. “Oh no my dear, now it is just the beginning.” He reached out took the whip from the wall and came at her again. 

* * * * * 

The walls inched in closer, shadows deepening into blackness. She could feel them bearing down on her… her breathing came in fast shallow gasps as she attempted to force herself to calm down. She knew logically there was no way the stone walls could move in on her, yet the room closed in.   
  
“Ann?” Shana’s voice sounded distant as it pulled her back to reality. “You okay?”  
  
“Sorry?” She gasped, blinking up at the red head woman beside her.  
  
“You look like you’re ready to fall over.” She placed a steadying hand on her arm. “Come on, I’ll help ya to medical.”  
  
Ann regained her control for the time being. “Thanks,” she smiled. “Guess I’m more tired than I thought.”   
  
“It’s alright,” she reassured her as she helped Ann down the tunnel. “I was heading in that direction anyway.”   
  
“How many Shana?”   
  
Scarlett was silent for a moment as she toiled over her own thoughts. “Too many Ann… Too many.” She paused at the threshold to medical her eyes frantically searching for a sign of familiar blond hair. “Looks like they’ve got their hands full here.”  
  
Ann balked at the sight of so many bodies shoved into the confining space. Inside the panic pushed forth and overtook her quickly. “I…I…”  
  
“Ann?” Shana suddenly found herself fully supporting the other woman. “Ann- Marie?” She glanced hysterically about attempting to catch the eyes of a medic. “Kay? Kay!” She shouted as she caught sight of her.  
  
“Oh shit.” Kay rushed over, grabbing Ann-Marie from the other side and helping Shana move her to an empty spot. “What happened?”  
  
“She just dropped.”   
  
Kay quickly checked her pulse and respiration. “Grab me a cool cloth, Shana.”   
  
Scarlett rushed over and grabbed a clean rag from a nearby pile and soaked it down with water from her own canteen. “Here.” She handed it to Kay who placed it on Ann-Marie’s forehead. “Will she be alright?”   
  
“Her heart rate’s a little fast, but it’s coming down, and her breathing’s evening out. She’ll be fine.” Kay set her lips in a line. “She’s just at the end of her endurance.” Her eyes glanced up to a figure rushing in behind Shana. “And it looks like someone is anxious to see you.”   
  
Shana spun round to be engulfed into the open arms of her husband. “Shana.” He clutched her to him fearing if he released her that she would again disappear. “Shana…” She clung to him her body trembling with the release of emotions that she had kept bottled up since the escape. Tenderly he lifted her chin and wiped away the tears on her cheek. “I thought I lost you.”   
  
“I told you I’d come back, Hauser.” She caressed his cheek. “The girls?” She asked apprehensively.  
  
“Safe. Clutch brought them in two days ago.” She sagged in his arms, all the energy suddenly drained from her. He was quick to gather her into his arms.   
  
“Get her to bed Conrad,” Kay said without looking up from Ann. “I’ve got enough patients here.”   
  
He nodded; shifting his grip slightly to better support her and carried the woman he considered his life into the darkness. 

* * * * * 

Dusty burst into the small cave that he had been told the children were gathered in. Frantically his eyes searched for the familiar sight of his boys and felt his heart expand when he saw them sitting off in a corner. “William! Ezra!” He shouted as he tossed his pack down and sprinted across the cove to where they had jumped up to greet him. He clutched his boys to him as he whispered, “Thank god.” He held both back glancing them over. “You two okay?” They both nodded and hugged their father again. His eyes shifted upward to Mutt who had come up behind the boys. “Thank you. I didn’t know if you got them out or not.”  
  
Mutt nodded and mussed the boys’ hair. “They helped a lot too. You’ve got two great kids here Dusty. Real troopers”   
  
“I know.” He stood placing his hands on the boys’ shoulders. “Have you seen Courtney?”  
  
The smile faded from Mutt’s face. “Boys, could you go get your stuff together please?” He waited until they were out of earshot. “She’s still MIA Dusty.”  
  
“What?” He felt his mind whirl. “She was supposed to get out with Alpha team…”  
  
“I know. But no one’s seen her since the retreat.” He laid a hand on Dusty’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”   
  
“Dad?” William pulled on his father’s hand. “Is mom with you?”   
  
Duty looked down at the ten year old and felt a stab of pain as he found himself looking into his wife’s eyes. “Not yet.” He tried to keep the fear out of his voice.   
  
“When?” Ezra asked.  
  
“I don’t know, son. Soon, I hope.” 

* * * * * 

A feeling of being jarred and the renewal of pain roused Courtney from a drug-induced slumber. She opened her eyes to find herself bundled and secured to a litter and bumping along the ground behind what she thought was a horse. She caught site of the man that had greeted her at the safe house and sighed deeply, wincing as pain shot through her abdomen.   
  
The jarring stopped and she heard feet crunching on gravel “Don’t try to breath deep.”   
  
“Who?” She squinted up at the kind face above her. _Trish…_ Her mind provided. “Where?”  
  
Trish pulled a canteen from her belt and poured some water into the cup. “Here try and drink.” She placed the cup to Courtney’s lips. “We’re taking you back to your people.”   
  
She greedily slurped at the liquid. “Scattered now.”  
  
“We know.” Trish replaced the cup on her canteen. “You just rest. Jason and I will find them.”   
  
Courtney felt a small hand slip into her own and looked over at the little girl she had saved from the Cobra and attempted a smile. “Glad to see you’re okay.”   
  
“She hasn’t left your side since we found you.” Trish smiled at the girl as she resettled Courtney’s blankets around her. “And I think she’s walked far enough for tonight.” She picked the girl up and settled her on the litter next to Courtney. “There. Now you two get some rest and don’t worry. Old Bo here is as sure footed as they come.” She said as she patted the rump of the horse.   
  
Courtney felt the girl cuddle closer to her and she tenderly wrapped an arm around the child as she had often done with her own children when they were younger. Her eyes stung with tears as she thought of her daughter and unknown of Ezra and William. Beside her the girl watched and in time both were swayed to sleep by the motion of the litter. 

* * * * * 

The shadows were silent as Bill made his way through the streets of the city. He had risked much to come, with security still high and the Joes hunted now more than ever. He couldn’t deny the message they had received just 24 hours ago telling him that Sarah had been made and to come alone. He knew it might be a trap, he knew it could mean his death, let alone Sarah’s.   
  
So less than 12 hours later he finds himself wandering the streets alone. He had made sure to leave anything behind that might call attention to him. He wore tattered clothing that would mark him as one of the conscripts from any of the Cobra slave pits; he had even left his trademark hat behind. He had stashed his weapons and medical supplies in a safe house, not wanting to be found with them, since both items were contraband on the streets. So now he wandered watching for the building he was told to go to and wait.   
  
He found the rendezvous on the next block and entered the crumbling building and settled in to wait, as he had been instructed. 

* * * * * 

The cavern was little more than junk and leftovers thrown together, beaten and overused. The whole setup looked as if it might burst into flames or start shooting sparks at any given moment. It was what was left of the original system that the Joes had tossed together when they had first occupied the mines after the initial flight from Cobra. Years of disuse had taken its toll, Mainframe and his team worked for several days to just get the systems to boot up without frying motherboards or the hands of those working on them.   
  
Blaine Parker was functioning simply on pure willful stubbornness. He hadn’t slept except a few hours here and there in nearly three days. He glanced around at what he had accomplished in that time and paused at the empty terminal to his left, fighting the knot forming in his throat. It was Ann-Marie’s spot. He felt a twinge of guilt at the scene he has caused when a team member who had, in all innocence, sat in her spot and started to boot up the terminal. Now the team knew it was her spot and would remain so until he was ready to let go.   
  
He had fought the arguments from those around him, but in time he had been forced to admit that there was little chance of seeing Ann walk in amongst the survivors. Deep inside he still refused to give up all hope; he simply couldn’t picture his life without her. He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes and noting he had been staring at the screen for nearly twelve hours without a break. He couldn’t even remember what he had been searching for in the database. He shook himself and tried to force his exhausted mind back to task. Gravel crunching behind him elicited another sigh as he wondered who wanted what this time. He felt his heart skip when arms wrapped around his neck and a familiar voice whispered in his ear.  
  
“Miss me, hacker?’   
  
For a few moments he thought he was hallucinating, given his level of fatigue and deep want for her to be alive. The voice was rough with exhaustion, but to him it was the sweetest music he had ever heard. I took all his strength to stop himself from leaping out of his chair, tossing his arms around her neck and kissing her until they both ran out of air. “About time you showed up.” He answered without turning around.  
  
Ann-Marie was shaking, from both emotion and fatigue. “Well you know how I like to make an entrance.”   
  
Blaine couldn’t take it anymore. With a swift movement he pulled her around into his lap and met her own lips with his.  
  
In the doorway, a silent figure smiled at the couple’s reunion and with a quick pull closed the small cave from the outside world. “They deserve some time,” Vena whispered tiredly to her uncle.   
  
Spirit nodded his agreement. “And you, my niece, need rest. Rissa will see to Mac’s care.” The old medicine man took Vena’s rifle from her and gave her a slight shove in the direction of the sleeping area. “Go. I will see they are not disturbed.”   
  
Vena smiled to herself as her uncle settled on the floor to meditate in front of the opening she had so recently covered. Without a second glance behind her she wearily made her way to lay her pounding head to rest. 

* * * * * 

A hand gently shaking his shoulder startled Shane from an unusually deep sleep. He glanced down by his side as he noticed the warmth that had lulled him to sleep was missing. Looking up, Asia was sitting on her cot watching him with big brown eyes. “How long was I out?” He asked Savannah when he noticed her by his side.  
  
“A few hours.” She offered him a ration of water. “Looks like ya needed it too.”  
  
He sipped at the drink. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say.” He climbed to his feet, and stretched. “What do ya want anyway?”  
  
A grin appeared on her face and Shane was suddenly reminded how young she was. “I think there’s someone out here you’ll wanna talk to.”   
  
He cocked a blond eyebrow. “I hate your games S’anna.”   
  
“So? They counteract your smart mouth.” She pulled the curtain aside. “Jus’ trust me. You _want_ to see this person.”  
  
“Whatever.” He glanced down when he felt someone grip his hand.   
  
“Looks like ya at least made a friend,” Savannah commented, motioning to Asia as she walked behind Shane.   
  
He snorted. “She’s just scared is all. Not like-“ His words dropped away as a very familiar voice shouted from behind a partition in the large tunnel.  
  
“Get the hell away from me!”   
  
With a glance at Savannah and her cocky smile, Shane dropped Asia’s hand and shot like a bullet to the area that voice had sounded from . Unbelieving, he stood watching as Kay was attempting to administer treatment to the combative man. Beside his father stood a woman he didn’t know, but his father seemed to calm when the woman said a few words.  
  
“Now if you just hold still for two seconds Mac, I can finish this.” Kay sighed as she shined a light into his eyes, examining each one thoroughly. Stepping back with a tired groan, she looked to the strange woman. “When exactly did the injury happen? I’ve lost track of the days.”   
  
“Over nine days,” Rissa answered, her accent growing thicker with as her fatigue progressed. “Five buried, and four back to here.”   
  
“Spill it, Kay.” Mac growled as he shoved aside the light she attempted to re-shine into his eyes. “And no more bullshit.”  
  
Tired at the Joe’s confrontational attitude, she replied, “You’re screwed.” She put the light back into her pocket, glancing to his companion. “Maybe if it had been treated right away, but the damage has been allowed to spread.”  
  
“What the hell you mean, I’m screwed?”   
  
“I’m sorry Mac. There’s nothing I can do. If the blindness improves, it’ll be on it’s own.” She heard a gasp behind her and turned to see Shane standing just inside the curtain. “Rissa, why don’t you go grab some chow. He needs some time.” She pulled the other woman out with her leaving the two men alone.   
  
“Who’s there?” Low-Light turned his head towards the sound of someone’s labored breathing. “I can still hear.”  
  
Shane felt a mix of emotions course through him one after the other in rapid succession as he regarded the man before him. Anger, relief, hate, love… one moment he wanted to tell his father he was happy to see him, the next he wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of him. “You’re supposed to be dead,” he finally managed. It was all he said, his voice empty of any emotion.  
  
“Shane?”   
  
The boy stepped forward, his boots crunching on the rocks as he did so. “You weren’t supposed to come back.”   
  
Mac snorted. “Sorry to disappoint you kid, but we MacBrides are tough to kill off.”  
  
Shane’s blue eyes narrowed. “Not all of us.” The accusatory tone hit the mark he had been aiming for. His father’s face became livid with anger.   
  
“What do you want Shane? Ya want me dead?” He tossed the thin blanket aside and sat up on the edge of the bed, and Shane took an involuntary step back. “Is that really what ya want?” At the silence, he taunted, “What no answer?”  
  
“Ya want a fucking answer?’’ Shane stepped forward, his voice cracking with the hate that surged through him. “Yeah, I wish you were dead. I wish you were six feet under and that I never had to see you again.”  
  
“Fine.” Mac responded with a deadly calm. “Get your gun.”  
  
The answer took him back. “What?”  
  
“Your rifle. Ya want it so bad, you pull the trigger.”  
  
Shane stared at the man he had hated for so much of his life, mouth hanging open. Now that he was given the opportunity to do what he had wished for, he couldn’t do it. All he could do was turn and leave his father in the darkness. 

* * * * * 

She was beyond pain, beyond reality. All that existed now was the numbness in the limbo between living and dying. She teetered on the edge of the abyss of death, all she would have to do was simply allow herself to fall over into the darkness. To give into the promises of no pain or suffering. Her other choice was to remain within the grasp of evil.   
  
Outside her mind she knew he was still there. She could still hear the whip as it continued to slice into tissue. She could feel the bite of the leather as it slowly stripped away her flesh. She again tumbled towards oblivion and again she was jerked back.   
  
The whip had stopped.  
  
 _I’m dead._ She thought _No, Sarah girl, if ya were dead your back wouldn’t be on fire, unless I’m in hell..._ She could hear voices just beyond her reach of consciousness and she fought her way back through the numbness and came crashing back into the world with a gasp of air.  
  
“What is it McKay?” Destro demanded as he glared at the Viper before him.   
  
“Forgive me, my lord.” He bowed. “But Cobra Commander has sent his personal guard and requests that you join him at once.”   
  
The masked man’s eyes narrowed as he regarded his majordomo. “Very well.” He re-hung the whip and wiped his hands on the towel MacKay proffered him. “See that she is conscious when I return.”   
  
“Yes, my Lord.” He watched and waited as Destro stepped ahead of the crimson-clad guards and the footsteps had faded away. He observed the woman dangling before him as he removed a flask from his vest pocket. The gun shot wound he had inflicted was for the most part, cleaned and roughly stitched. It was the rest of her body that drew his attention and concern. She was a mess of bruises, open wounds and oozing blood that more than likely soon become infected. He walked up to her and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her eyes to his face.   
  
“Bastard.” She cursed in a whisper.   
  
McKay snorted and placed the flask to her lips. “Drink.” He ordered.   
  
Sarah’s eyes narrowed at the new man before her. She attempted to spit out whatever liquid was flowing into her mouth, but her body’s demand for fluids overrode her commands. She choked on the bitter drink and hoped that whatever he had given her was fast acting.   
  
“It’s not poison.” McKay answered her unspoken question. “If I wanted you dead I would have killed you in the city.”   
  
Her eyes caught sight of movement behind him. “Who are you?”  
  
He smiled. “No one you need remember.”  
  
Her world went black. 

* * * * * 

She watched them, sleeping like little angels without a care in the world. Chests slowly rising and falling, soft mumbles of dreams, and the innocence that claimed them as they slept. She hugged her arms around herself fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her blue eyes. She had been living in the fear that she would never see them again and yet here they were in arms reach, yet she was afraid to touch them for fear that they would melt away like a dream.   
  
“They won’t break Shana.” Duke whispered as he came up behind her wrapping her into his embrace. “They’ve been asking about you.”  
  
“I know.” She said without turning her eyes from the twins. “What will happen if we loose this war Duke?” She turned to face him. “Even if we win what kind of life have we given them?”   
  
He caressed her cheek. “They’re alive Shana, let’s be thankful for that right now.”   
  
She glanced back at the girls “I sometimes think maybe it would have been better if the fever…”  
  
“No,” He gently turned her face to him. “Don’t ever think that Shana. I was half dead just thinking of the possibility that you and the girls were dead after the raid. I don’t know what I would do if I had lost you all to fever. Justin was pain enough.”  
  
“I’m tired.” She leaned into his chest. “I’m tired of fighting, of barely surviving. Of burying friends. I want the girls to know something besides these caves and hiding from bad men.”  
  
He held her close as her tears soaked his shirt. He knew her feelings for they were the same that swept through his mind a million times a day. He glanced at the girls and felt the familiar mix of love and fear for them. “We’ll make it Shana, I swear.”   
  
“Don’t make promises you may not be able to keep Conrad.” She looked up at him. “We both know that one day one of us won’t walk back through the door.”  
  
“I know.” He brushed a strand of hair form her face. “But I’d rather not think about that right now.”   
  
“I’m sorry…” Ann-Marie’s voice filtered into their conversation.   
  
“It’s alright Ann.” Duke turned to face the computer expert. “I was glad to hear you made it out okay.”   
  
“Thanks.” She took a deep breath before meeting Duke’s eyes. “We need to talk.” 

* * * * * 

Clair settled herself back into her perch and stifled a yawn. Her watch was almost over, but twelve hours was a long, uncomfortable time to be sitting in a tree. She couldn’t wait to get back inside and see how Mark was doing before laying her weary head down for some well-deserved sleep. She jerked at the sound of branches snapping and brought her weapon to bear as a small party appeared on the path below her.   
  
“Hold up Trish.” Jason stepped forward, his arms held away from his sides showing he was unarmed. “I know someone’s there,” he called out into the trees. “We’re unarmed.”  
  
“State your business.” Clair demanded from above, her rifle never wavering from the target, knowing the other watchers were also trained on the group.  
  
“We have one of your people. She was wounded in the escape.”   
  
“How do I know you ain’t Cobra?”   
  
Jason thought for a moment. “Would Cobra bring one of yours back?”   
  
Clair swung down from her perch. “They might, if it meant getting into our base.” She considered the man in front of her. “Cody, you take the rear and keep then under sights.” A young man appeared from behind another tree. “Follow me.” She turned and headed .  
  
Jason nodded to Trish. “Do what they say and do nothing that might be threatening.”   
  
Trish acknowledged him with a nod and clucked to the horse. Bo started forward and up the path into the mines. They followed Clair through a network of tunnels with so many twist and turns that they never would be able to find their way back out. The cavern she lead them to was empty, aside from some vehicles that looked about ready to fall apart, and someone who was leaning against them.   
  
“We wait here.” Clair motioned them to sit.   
  
Trish glanced at Jason as he settled on a convenient rock. “Could we at least have some water?” She inquired. Clair unstrapped her canteen and tossed it at the other woman. “Thank you.” She moved to the litter and cupped water into Courtney’s lips.   
  
“Where are we?” Courtney asked as her eyes fluttered open.   
  
Trish smiled. “I think we found your friends.” She looked up at Clair. “Or at least I hope the friends of your friends.”  
  
“Clair? You can relax your guard now,” Kay stated as she entered with Spirit. “You’ll have to forgive the hospitality around here.” She indicated both Clair and Spirit’s rifles. “But we tend to be paranoid.”   
  
Jason nodded from his spot. “Understandable. I’m Jason Farrell.”   
  
“I know.” Kay smiled. “I recognized you from the files.” She motioned for the others to lower their weapons. “Duke will be happy to know you’re alive, Shockwave.”   
  
Spirit nodded in agreement. “We feared you dead after you missed contact.”   
  
“Was safer that way.” He motioned to Trish. “My wife Trisha and I found someone we thought you would like to have back.”  
  
“She was nearly dead when Jason brought her home.” Trish led Kay over to the litter and knelt beside her patient. “I did what I could, but I don’t have a lot of supplies on hand.”  
  
Kay smiled. “I know the feeling, but if the patient’s alive then that’s good enough.” She knelt to examine the figure and froze. “My God.” She spun round to Clair. “Get Dusty now.”  
  
“What?” The girl paused a moment.  
  
Kay smiled and laughed for the first time since arriving. “Tell him his wife is here.” 

* * * * * 

Duke sat staring blankly into the faces standing before him. “It’s not possible.”   
  
“I know.” Ann-Marie sighed with the weight of her discovery. “I didn’t want to believe it myself. But both Blaine and I went over the data with a fine tooth comb, several times, and there’s no other conclusion Duke.”  
  
He stared at the information he held in his hand, wishing it would suddenly change. “But why? Why would he? How could he?”   
  
“Asia.” Shana answered, speaking for the first time.   
  
“What?” The shock on his face was undeniable.  
  
“It’s the logical answer, Conrad. Asia was dying, we all knew that. Flint and Asia disappear and when they reappear, she’s cured.” Shana took the file from Duke, her eyes glancing over the details. “He did what any desperate parent would have done.”  
  
“I wish there was another explanation Duke, but the tracer was coming from Flint’s quarters.” Ann-Marie leaned into her husband for support as she spoke the words out loud. “He was the traitor.”   
  
Duke suddenly felt what hope he had for the world slip away. His own second in command, his best friend, had been the means of their devastation. He had brought the hand of death to them again and had done it for a single life. _Do the needs of the one out weigh the needs of the many?_ He thought as he looked at his wife. _Would I have done the same?_ He looked down at his hands, and as he often did, he could see the stain of blood there. _More blood on them. More ghosts to haunt our footsteps.  
_   
“I’m sorry Duke, “ Ann-Marie tried to speak further, only to have Shana’s shaking head stop her. “We’ll get back to work.” She and Blaine took their leave.  
  
“I should have seen it Shana.” He fell heavily into a nearby chair.  
  
“No.” She kneeled beside him. “It wasn’t your fault, Conrad, none of us saw it.”   
  
He shook his head. “I’m supposed to be the leader. I’m supposed to protect what’s left of us.” He gazed up at her, his eyes black with grief. “They trusted us Shana. They trusted us, and we betrayed them.”  
  
“ _We_ didn’t betray them, Flint did. Duke, we can’t change what happened, we have to go on like we always do.” Her tone was pleading.  
  
“No,” He shook his head. “We can’t, not anymore.”   
  
“Conrad…”  
  
“It’s over Shana.” He touched her cheek. “Nothing is the same anymore.” 

* * * * * 

The silence of the night was beginning to take its toll on his nerves as Bill did a perimeter check around the building again. He had been waiting at for more than six hours, and his instincts were screaming for him to get moving, staying in one spot for too long was dangerous. He had, over the hours he was waiting, found himself wondering if the message had been bait to lure him out and capture him. However the logical side of him argued: why make him wait for so long and risk him just up and leaving? He returned to the spot he had picked to survey the entrance and grabbed a ration from his pack. “I’ll give ‘em another five then I’m outta here.” He muttered to himself as he ripped open the package. The food bar hit the floor when Bill made a grab for his rifle to the sound of the door creaking open on the rusty hinges that barely held it upright. The shadows concealed whoever was intruding on his hideaway, but he had a feeling this was what he had been waiting for. He could make out three faint forms, interestingly enough, two supporting the third between them. He kept his rifle trained on them as they slowly approached.   
  
“Ya best say who ya are, ‘fore I twitch.”   
  
“We are friends.” One of the shadows replied, enunciating the words.   
  
“Friends?” Bill snorted. “Friends o’ mine don’t hide in the shadows.”   
  
“Very well.” The shapes stepped forward into a faint light from a high window and Bill felt his heart constrict at the sight of the person the two supported. “She’s alive.”   
  
Without thought, Bill tossed down his rifle and grabbed his wife from the two vipers in front of him. “Sarah?” He checked for a heartbeat and found it faintly thumping against his fingers. “What happened?”  
  
“Destro.”   
  
He looked warily at the men, rethinking his rash action of discarding his weapon. “Why would you save her?” He asked the men before him. “You’re Cobra.”  
  
“This may come as a shock, but not all of us are loyal.” One man replied and the other simply nodded. “There are a growing number among the troops who would gladly see the fall of the Empire.”  
  
Bill quickly looked down as Sarah’s eyes fluttered open and she groaned. Confused, she hoarsely whispered, “Bill?”   
  
_God, she sounds so weak._ He thought as he grabbed his canteen and offered it to her. “Yeah baby, it’s me. You’re okay now.”  
  
“Pain.” She gasped as he brushed a hand across her back.   
  
He shot a nasty glance at the Cobras.   
  
The spokesman answered Bill’s unasked question. “As I said, Destro.” He reached into a pocket and tossed Bill a packet. “This will help with the pain and allow her to sleep.”   
  
“I told ya not to go back.” He whispered to Sarah as he wrapped her in his jacket, attempting to stop the chills that had set in.   
  
“Had to.” She whispered. “No choice.”   
  
“Sir? We need to move soon.” The once silent man said softly. “She needs medical attention and troops loyal will be searching.”  
  
“How did they catch her?” Bill asked hastily as he mixed some of the powder with water and helped Sarah drink.”  
  
“The Baroness.”  
  
“What?” Bill could feel the raw anger rising in him. “I’ll kill her.”  
  
“No,” Sarah’s soft voice pleaded. “Planned this way.”  
  
His head snapped to glare at his wife. “You _planned_ this?” he demanded incredulously. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?!”  
  
Sarah smiled weakly. “Ya never would have allowed it.”  
  
“Damn right!” He turned his head away, cursing. “Ya could have died Sarah!”   
  
“Mission is safe.”   
  
“Damn the mission!” He fought the unwanted tears as he realized what ate at him most. “It ain’t worth loosing you!”   
  
Sarah’s eyes slowly drifted shut as the drug took effect. “You didn’t”   
  
Bill sighed. He would deal with this later. To the two men watching silently, he said, “You two better get into hiding, Cobra’s gonna be skewering the city soon.”  
  
“We’re coming with you.”  
  
“Uh-uh, no way.” Pulling his hat down low on his head, he slung his pack and gun on his shoulder. Gently picked Sarah up into his arms. “No snake is comin’ to my house.”   
  
“My name is Timmons. This is Mitchell. The price for saving your wife is asylum. And you need someone to watch your back. Besides we’ll just trail you anyway.”  
  
Bill’s eyes narrowed at the two as he tried to think of a reason for them to be able not to follow. “Damn it to hell,” he cursed. “Duke’s jus’ gonna love this.” 

* * * * * 

_A flash of blue…  
  
He spun round towards the medical cavern just in time to see Ella run back in. Time seemed to slow down into slow motion as he ran for the cave.   
  
Chink-chink-chink  
  
_ “ELLA!!!!!!!”   
  
Kay spun round at the sound of her husband’s cry and was quick to find her way to his bedside. “Ed.” She calmly called to him, trying to reach him through the terror in his mind. “Ed?”   
  
“Get them out…” He stared blankly ahead, his eyes not seeing anything around him. “Get them out, Ella.”   
  
“Edwin look at me.” Kay ordered. She turned his head to look directly at her face and grinned as his eyes gradually focused on her face and the tension left his body. “That’s it. Back to the present. You’re safe now.” She wiped the sweat from his face with a damp cloth.   
  
“Kay?” He looked at her, confused. “Where?”  
  
“I’ll fill you in later.” She offered him some water. “Right now your head’s gotta feel like someone’s playing the bongos in it.”   
  
He smiled, wincing as he did so. “Where’s Ella?”   
  
The smile disappeared from Kay’s face as she set the now empty glass on a crude table. “What’s the last thing you remember Ed?”  
  
“I remember the evacuation and trying to get everyone out.” His face creased with concentration. “There was a small cave in, I went to help.” He suddenly went pale. “There was an explosion… no.”   
  
“I’m sorry Ed.” She took his hand in hers.   
  
“Who else?” He asked shakily.   
  
“Too many.” She squeezed his hand. “Far too many.”   
  
Weakly, Ed raised his free hand and caressed his wife’s cheek. “I didn’t think I would ever be able to do this again.”   
  
“I missed you too.” She settled down on the bed beside him.   
  
He held her to him as he tried to turn his mind away from the tragedy of the raid. He knew that he would have to eventually bury the emotions down deep as he had for so long. But for now he could just hold his wife and remember that there was something besides death in his life.   
  
The ghosts would return soon enough. 

* * * * * 

“I trust that you have good reason to call me away from an interrogation Commander.” Destro demanded as he stormed into the office.   
  
“Mind your tone Dessstro.” The Commander glared. “I am ssstill your superior.”  
  
“But he has a valid point, Commander.” The Baroness spoke from her chair. “Why have you summoned us?”  
  
“Sssilence! Both of you!” A gloved fist slammed down onto his desk, causing articles to jump. “You dare not question what I order you to do!”   
  
“Forgive me Commander.” Destro bowed, backpedaling for the moment. “I was simply upset at being pulled away from an important session.”  
  
“Yesss Destro. I know of your questioning, and Baroness, I know of the traitor you found in our midst.” He sat back into his chair. “What I wissssh to know is why ssshe was able to hide for ssso long?”  
  
The Baroness felt as if she had been placed under a microscope with both men scrutinizing her. “She was clever, Commander, and her papers flawless.”  
  
“But ssshe worked closely with you for nearly three yearssss.”  
  
Destro couldn’t hold his tongue. “Yes my dear. How did she manage to remain hidden for so long?”  
  
“She didn’t.”   
  
“Explain yourssself.”   
  
A feral smile crossed the Baroness’ face. “I’ve known about Sarah for some time. What better way to feed false information to the Joes?”  
  
“Brilliant.” Destro stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But how is it that both of you came to be at the prison when Mark Armbuster escaped?”  
  
“I was under orders to be there, Destro darling, if you remember.”  
  
Destro smiled. “Yes, I remember. Except isn’t it odd that you removed the prisoner from a secure cell block to the yard just as a rescue attempt was being made?”  
  
“Forgive me Commander.” A Viper nervously stood at the door.  
  
The Commander’s eyes flashed. “What is it? I ordered you not to disssturb usss.”  
  
“Yes, Commander.” The viper shifted nervously. “Nevertheless, you need to know this immediately. There’s been another escape.”  
  
“What?!” The Commander shot to his feet, a finger stabbing accusingly at Destro. “Destro, as head of security this is your fault!”  
  
The masked man ignored his enraged Commander and calmly inquired, “Which prisoner?”   
  
The viper braced for the eruption once he released the news. “The Joe spy, sir. Lieutenant McKay was found unconscious in her cell and two vipers on guard duty have disappeared.”  
  
“Well Destro darling,” Alexia cooed, “it seems that once again you failed to catch a traitor.”  
  
“Be silent woman.” He spat, spinning around to Cobra Commander. “I shall get to the bottom of this. I swear.”  
  
The baroness simply continued to smile. “I’m sure you shall Destro.” _Checkmate._

* * * * * 

The noise from the mass of bodies assembled in the cavern was enough to drown out the sound of a bomb dropping right on their heads. Duke glanced about and noted that nearly everyone was present aside from those indisposed by injury. He caught sight of Dusty sitting beside his wife who had insisted on coming, despite orders otherwise. Bill was absent, as he was tending Sarah in medical, but he had sent Cammy and Dustin to represent him. Even as his eyes caught sight of those who survived, he felt a stab of pain for each face that was missing. He held up his hand and waited until the roar died down.   
  
“Thank you everyone, for coming. I know it’s been hard and I’m not going to say it’s going to get easier.”   
  
“How long are we going to stay here?” One of the civilians asked.  
  
Shana spoke up. “We are looking for new quarters, we just have to be patient until we can find a secure area that’s large enough.”   
  
“What about water? Food? What happens if they find us here?” The crowd began to murmur again.  
  
The questions were too much for him. Shana glanced at her husband who stood, staring blankly ahead. She stepped in an answered, “Food and water we ration just like we always have.”   
  
“But what about Cobra?” Cried a woman from the civilian population.  
  
“If they show their damn faces here we fight them.” Mac’s voice carried from the back of the crowd. “I sure as hell ain’t goin’ out without a fight!” His declaration was met with many affirmations.  
  
“Duke,” Ann-Marie’s voice carried above the shouts from the group just by the main leaders. “What do you want us to do?”  
  
“Duke?” Shana leaned towards her husband. “Duke you need to say something.”  
  
He looked up at his wife, eyes devoid of comprehension. “Why? There’s nothing left.”  
  
“Damn it.” She whispered. “They expect you to have the answers. Don’t do this.”  
  
He ignored her and his mind recalled a poem he had read long ago.  
  
“Duke?”   
  
He looked out to the crowd, all the lives that depended on him to keep them alive, all the people that he was responsible for day in and day out. All the graves he had left behind him. He felt weary…and for the first time in his life he didn’t have an answer. The final line of the Tolkien soliloquy: _How did it come to this?  
  
_ “I don’t know.”


	9. Apocalypse Rides

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_Standing by the window  
Eyes upon the moon  
Hoping that the memory will leave her spirit soon  
She shuts the doors and lights  
And lays her body on the bed  
Where images and words are running deep  
She has too much pride to pull the sheets above her head  
So quietly the lays and waits for sleep_

_She stares at the ceiling  
And tries not to think  
And pictures the chain  
She's been trying to link again  
But the feeling is gone_

_And water can't cover her memory  
And ashes can't answer her pain  
God give me the power to take breath from a breeze  
And call life from a cold metal frame_

_In with the ashes  
Or up with the smoke from the fire  
With wings up in heaven  
Or here, lying in bed  
Palm of her hand to my head  
Now and forever curled in my heart  
And the heart of the world  
Wait for sleep: By Moore _

* * * * * * * * * 

Dreams…   
  
Pictures of the past…present…and, even at times, the future. Views into the subconscious of a being, a fleeting look into their fears, hopes… even prayers. For some they are an escape, for others they are demons that never stops stalking the soul.   
  
For Asia Fairborne, the dream is an evilness that caresses and tortures her mind. It is so familiar that she can start or stop it at any point and know the events before and after. It is a nightmare that has forever assaulted her, a demon that she will never be rid of, nor does she wish the devil to leave. For it is the truth of her past. It is her reality. It is her last connection to her loss.   
  
It is her life… 

* * * * * * * * 

The soft creaking of the floorboards and the shaft of light that broke into the dark shadows of the room roused Alison Fairborne from the sleep she fallen into. She sighed, smiling knowingly to herself before cracking an eye open. As she suspected, she caught sight of her five-year old daughter standing in the doorway. Teddy bear clutched in one hand and her blanket in the other. Flint grumbled in his sleep and rolled away from the offensive light, pulling the blankets up over his head. Alison reached out a hand and heard the patter of bare feet as Asia ran across the floor and tumbled into bed next to her.   
  
“So,” Alison whispered, so not to wake Flint further. “What’s bothering my little mouse tonight?”   
  
“PJ won’t sleep.” She whispered back, referring to the teddy bear.   
  
“Oh he won’t?” Alison looked down at the sullen little bear. “And why won’t PJ go to sleep?”   
  
Asia shrugged. “He doesn’t like the dark.”   
  
Alison smiled at her daughter. “Is that all?” Asia nodded. “I think we can fix that.” She tossed back the covers, gathering Asia in her arms as she stood. “Let’s go see what we can do alright?”   
  
“Shhh…don’t wanna wake Daddy.”   
  
“That’s right, love.” Alison quietly closed the door behind her. “He’s grumpy.” Asia’s childish giggle echoed as she carried her down the hallway. The house was decorated with the trimmings and colors that seemed to adorn all homes at the holiday season. Reds, greens, and Santa Clauses seemed to hang from every corner. In the front room, a large fir tree stood, standing nearly to the ceiling. Its multi-colored lights reflecting against the wall and sending small dances of illumination as it blinked on and off in sequence. “Now,” Alison whispered as she pulled the door to Asia’s room open. “Let’s see what we can do about PJ.”   
  
Asia looked up at her mother smiling as she was set onto her feet. “Santa came yet?”   
  
“No, he won’t come until little girls and their teddy bears are asleep.”   
  
“PJ,” She glared at the solemn bear. Alison had to fight back her laughter as she recognized the girl’s tone of voice as one Flint would often use with her. “We have to go to sleep or Santa won’t come.”   
  
“How about we leave your closet light on?” Alison pulled on the cord and closed the door till a small crack of light illuminated the room. “Is that better?”   
  
“Yup,” She bounded over to her bed and hopped up onto the mattress. “PJ says we better sleep now.” She flopped down and smiled as her mother lovingly pulled the blankets up over her and kissed her cheek. “Love you Mommy,” She yawned as her eyes slowly drifted shut.   
  
Alison smiled and gently stroked her daughters long brown hair. “Love you too, Mouse.” She waited another moment to be sure that Asia was again asleep before quietly slipping out of the room and back to her own bed.   
  
“She go back to sleep?” Flint’s voice tickled her ear as he pulled her back to him and kissed her neck.   
  
Alison smiled. “Out like a light.” She turned to her husband, a familiar sparkle in her eyes.   
  
He returned the grin and caressed her cheek. “Good. Santa wants to get it on with Mrs. Claus.” He kissed her as she laughed and smacked his shoulder. 

* * * * * * * * 

Ra-tap…tap…tap…   
  
Asia’s eyes popped open as the sound trickled into her sleep-muddled mind. “You hear that PJ?”   
  
Ra-tap…tap…tap…   
  
“I bet its Santa!” She whispered excitedly. “He’s here!”   
  
Ra-tap…tap…tap……   
  
She fought the urge to jump out of bed and run to the living room to greet the jolly old elf, but couldn’t resist pulling the curtains back from her window watch the night sky to try and catch a glimpse of him as he flew away. She propped PJ up beside her as she settled on her knees in front of the frost-covered window. “I wonder if the reindeer really fly?”   
  
Ra-tap…tap…tap…tap…tap…tap…pop!   
  
The noise of the small explosion startled her and she strained her eyes, looking out into the dark night for the source. “What was that PJ? Did Santa just crash?” She pulled her blanket to her, starting to get up to go get her father to check.   
  
Ra-tap…tap…tap…BOOM!   
  
“Asia!” Alison cried as she slammed the door open and ran to her daughter.   
  
“Mommy…?” She didn’t have time to ask the question burning in her mind as her mother grabbed her up into her arms and covered her with a larger blanket. Sensing her mother’s terror as they ran from the room, Asia felt for the comfort of her bear and realized he was missing. “PJ!” She reached over her mother’s shoulder, the sullen little teddy bear still sitting beside the window. His glass eyes flickered the reflection of the firelight from outside. “PJ!”   
  
“Alison, we have to go now!” Flint shouted from the front hall as he pulled a bag from the closet. Asia turned and looked to her father. His hair was still rumpled from sleep, but his eyes were alert and his face was locked into an expression that scared her. She clutched tighter to her mother. “Give her to me.”   
  
She felt herself handed off to her father then her mother tore the bag open and removed what looked like a long stick with a point at the end. “I know I kept these for a reason.” Her mother grabbed several other items from the bag before tossing it over her shoulder and nodding to Flint.   
  
“Give me the vest,” he ordered.   
  
Asia was set on her feet and her father wrapped her into a strange looking coat. “Asia, don’t take that coat off no matter what happens,” her father whispered in her ear as he picked her back up wrapping her into the blanket. “Hold on tight baby, and be that quiet little mouse.”   
  
She nodded and clutched her arms tighter around his neck.   
  
“Ready?” He glanced at his wife, seeing that she to had put on her bulletproof vest and was armed with her javelins.   
  
“Ready.”   
  
Asia felt her father take a deep breath and suddenly the freezing air pierced through the blanket. “Move Jaye!” She shuddered and buried her face at the sound of her father’s voice, she had never heard him talk like that. However, it was the screams around them that chilled her to the bone.   
  
“How the hell did they get in the compound!?” Lady Jaye shouted as she caught sight of a familiar red uniform in the distance.   
  
“Figure it out later!” Flint replied. She felt the jarring motion as her father ran across the icy ground, catching himself several times as he slipped. “Right now I want you two in the bunker!”   
  
BOOM!   
  
The explosion sent them flying; Flint twisted in mid-air, landing on his back rather than on top of his daughter. “Asia?” He pulled the blanket from her face for a moment to check her. “Baby?”   
  
“Daddy?” Her voice shook.   
  
“Shhh…it’s okay, Mouse.”   
  
“Flint!” Alison appeared beside her husband, pulling them up. “That was the main hanger.”   
  
“Shit! Trade me.” He grabbed the bag from Lady Jaye and placed Asia in her arms. “Get to the bunker now!”   
  
“I’m not leaving you…” She clutched her daughter to her, turning away from the burning debris from the last explosion.   
  
He grabbed her arm and quickly kissed her before pushing her away. “I love you both.”   
  
“Dash…”   
  
“Dammit Alison, go!” He disappeared into the smoke and chaos.   
  
“Mommy?”   
  
Asia’s voice pulled Jaye back from her shock. “Hang on Mouse, we’re almost there.” She shifted her grip slightly before running towards a small building placed aside from the others. She quickly entered a code onto the keypad and pulled the door open when the lock released, throwing herself through. It slammed shut behind her with a metal clang that echoed in the steel building. Dim lights along the floor illuminated and indicated the stairway. Lady Jaye carefully went down each step, to the bottom most level. There was another locked door at the end of the short hall. Just as she reached it the lights extinguished. She pulled a flashlight from her pocket and illuminated another keypad, which she entered a different code. When the door released with a soft click, she pressed herself and Asia through the door. Sealing it shut behind them, a deep sigh escaped as she set her daughter down.   
  
“Anyone else here?” Alison called, sending a small beam of light into the shadows. She felt Asia clutching to her leg.   
  
“Alison?” An unsure female voice spoke from the darkness. “Tha’ you? Give me th’ code word.”   
  
“Scooby Doo.” She shined the light in the direction of the voice and sighed in relief when she saw numerous children huddled in a corner of the bunker, Mollie Blais standing in front of them with an assault rifle in her hands. Thank God, they managed to get most of them here. Lady Jaye did a quick count, fear welling up as she discovered that several were missing.   
  
Hauser…Rudat…LeClair…Blais…wait… “Where’s the Delgotos?”   
  
“They didn’t make it…” Mollie’s voice shook, betraying her fear, “I saw… saw them, they were coming an’ then I heard gunfire, Rob kept yelling for me t’ run and not look back, but I did an’… they were…all…” she couldn’t finish the sentence.   
  
“It’s okay Mollie.” Lady Jaye’s heart sank. “And Vicky?”   
  
Ethan LeClair looked up and in an eerie voice not suited for a nine-year-old said, “Mama didn’t make it out of the house before it blew up.”   
  
Cross-Country and Mollie’s oldest daughter Amanda shifted in the corner of the bunker where she held the three-month-old son of Scarlett and Duke. “Mama, Justin needs to be changed,” she informed her.   
  
“Jus’ a sec, honey,” Mollie replied over her shoulder.   
  
Alison felt a tug on her pant leg and looked down into a matching pair of blue eyes. “Want Mommy.”   
  
“I know Audra,” She knelt down to be eye level with all the children. “But she can’t be here right now.” Her eyes met Mollie’s and came up with a plan to distract the kids. “Okay everybody, why don’t we all sit and have a snack?” She pointed over to the boxes of c-rations in the corner. “We can pretend we’re camping.” She forced a smile onto her face.   
  
“I like camping.” Ezra Rudat smiled up at her.   
  
“I’ll bet you do. Come on everyone. Mollie, let’s get the electric lamp out and chase these shadows away.” 

* * * * * * * * 

“They’ve breached every defense we have, Duke!” Flint’s fist slammed onto the table. “We’re running out of time.”   
  
“I know that Flint. Dammit I know! I can’t figure out how they got past the perimeter! They were ahead of us before we could set up prelim defenses.”   
  
Flint’s eyes bore into the commanding officer’s, the glow of the red emergency lights giving them a devilish sheen. “So what do we do now?”   
  
Duke ran a hand through his rumpled hair. “I hate to say it but… we need to retr--”   
  
“You can’t be serious?!” Flint’s voice cut him off. “If we lose HQ we lose the war!”   
  
“Then what do you suggest?!” Duke’s anger snapped. “Stay here and die?! We’ve already lost half of our base force Flint. HALF ! We have nothing more to throw at them!”   
  
“Stop it both of you!” Scarlett’s voice cut into the two men’s arguing. “While you’re standing here fighting, Cobra’s advancing! Get it together NOW!”   
  
“I told you go to the bunker.” Duke growled at his wife.   
  
Scarlett snorted. “And miss a good fight?” She turned her attention to the monitors that Dial-Tone was watching.   
  
The comm specialist turned. “Duke, Low-Light reports that Cobra is bringing in a second wave of HISS tanks.”   
  
“Make a choice fast, boys. We’re running out of time.”   
  
“Flint?”   
  
Flint’s face hardened. “We go.”   
  
Duke nodded, “Jack, give the order to retreat. Have whoever is available to make sure that they get the children and civilians out of their assigned bunkers. Signal Snake-Eyes, Spirit, and Low-Light to go to ground and recon all bunkers to make sure they are empty. Flint and I will head for bunker number two. You and Scarlett head for number one. And dump the computer cores.”   
  
“Lady Jaye should be with Mollie in number 2,” Flint said.   
  
“Good. Move out.” A hand on his caused him to pause.   
  
“Come back to me, Hauser.”   
  
He quickly kissed her. “Count on it.” 

* * * * * * * * 

A small red light began to flash on the wall next to the door of the bunker. Mollie’s eyes riveted to it and then she spun and looked at Alison, who scrambled to her feet. Cued by the adults’ actions, the kids also looked up at the light. “What is it?” whispered Savannah.   
  
“Someone’s coming that doesn’t know the codes,” Mollie gasped in fear.   
  
“Everybody up,” Allison ordered, quickly moving among the children. “Pick up all your garbage. Mollie, open the tunnel door and get everyone inside.”   
  
The sound of metal began to rasp against the door to the stairway.   
  
_Shit!_ She moved faster, ushering the children into the black tunnel hidden behind a panel of the bunker, one eye watching the door. The sounds outside the door grew louder. “Ok everyone listen. You’re going to play hide and seek. No matter what happens do not make a sound. Mollie, let me help you with Justin.” She helped the woman settle the sleeping baby into a snuggly sack at her hip, then caught each frightened face with her eyes. “Do you all understand me? You must not make a sound. And it will be dark. But someone will be coming to get you soon. Remember the code word and listen to Mrs. Cross-Crountry.” She hugged her daughter to her and kissed her forehead. “You be my little mouse and don’t make a sound. I love you Asia, don’t ever forget that.”   
  
“I don’t wanna Mommy…”   
  
“I know baby,” She picked her up and pushed her into Mollie’s arms. “But you have to hide.”   
  
“Mommy…no!”   
  
“Good luck Allie,” Mollie murmured. “Give ‘em hell.”   
  
“I will.” Lady Jaye started to shove the panel back into place, when Asia cried out one more time, breaking away from Mollie’s grip and slipped out into the main bunker. “Asia!”   
  
“Mommy!”   
  
There was no time to reopen the tunnel. The activity outside he door was increasing, and she could not risk the others. Frantically looking around, she glanced up and saw the vent in the ceiling. Without thinking, she grabbed the crate of rations and stood on it, pulling down the grating with a grunt. She seized Asia and boosted her up into the ventilation shaft. “You gotta stay up there baby. You have to hide. Do you understand me? Don’t make a sound, no matter what happens.”   
  
“Mommy…”   
  
“Shhh…” Alison slammed the grate back into place. “Be my Mouse.” She looked up one last time. “I love you baby.”   
  
The door blew open. 

* * * * * * * * 

“Well, well, well, Lady Jaye, it is indeed a pleasure to see you again.” Destro smiled as he swept through the destroyed door into the bunker.   
  
“Bullshit Destro!” She exploded as she struggled against the grip of the two Crimson Guardsman on either side of her.   
  
“Is that anyway to speak to a guest?”   
  
“I don’t recall you being on the Christmas party list.”   
  
Destro laughed, the deep maniacal laughter of someone enjoying the evil he wrought. “As much as I enjoy these little exchanges my dear, I have other matters to attend to.” He tilted her chin up with his fingers. “What are you hiding here?”   
  
Her eyes narrowed. “Nothing.” She spat onto his mask.   
  
“You know I hate it when you lie to me. You’d be out in the fight, unless you were protecting something. What is it?”   
  
Silence was his answer. He waited a moment more before nodding to the Guard at her right.   
  
The sharp poke of a gun barrel in her side and the following bullet that ripped into her was something she couldn’t avoid if she tried. The pain was intense and white hot, and instantly it became increasingly harder to breath. The only reason she did not collapse was the grip on her arms. “Fuck you!” She managed through the pain.   
  
“What are you-” He unsheathed a large ceremonial knife, thrusting it into her arm and twisting it. “-hiding?”   
  
“I’ll... tell… you… nothing!”   
  
He calmly shook his head before pulling the knife out. “Pity you won’t tell.” He sighed as he wiped her blood on her shirt. “I was looking forward to future conversations with you. However…”   
  
“Go… to... hell!”   
  
He turned away from her, studying the bunker. “Tsk. Tsk. You’ll have to send me a postcard because you’ll be going there first.” He whirled and stabbed her in the chest.   
  
Pain…white-hot pain tore through her as the knife plunged deep. Around her the world began to blur, and sounds began to fade. Asia… Destro withdrew his knife and signaled with a flick of his hand, the Crimson Guardsmen let go of her and she fell forward. She watched through dimming sight as Destro and the others left. At least the kids are safe… Dash…   
  
Darkness… 

* * * * * * * * 

“Something’s wrong!” Flint whispered to Duke as they scouted out the bunker from behind a mangled HAVOC. “The top door is unsecured!”   
  
Cross-Country appeared beside them, the side of his face bloody. “Ain’t it time t’ leave this party?”   
  
“On three, Flint and I head for the bunker building. Cross-Country, you cover us and then we’ll cover you. Got it?” Duke ordered.   
  
A single nod by both men affirmed the order.   
  
“One two three, go!” Dear God please let them be all right! Duke’s silent words echoed in his head as he and Flint sprinted for the cover of the building. They heard one shot ring out from the HAVOC driver’s gun just as they reached the building. They slipped in, and signaled back, and a moment later, Rob was with them. They all thundered down the stairs, Duke in the lead. When he saw the door blown away he let out a strangled cry. “No…” He raced ahead and stopped at the threshold, frozen.   
  
“What is it Duke?” Flint came up behind him and pushed him aside, seeing the horror before him, still dimly lit by the electric lamp. “No… Alison!” He fell to his knees beside his wife, clutching her limp form to him. Blood continued to flow from her chest wound. “Allie,” he sobbed into her neck.   
  
“Dash…” Her voice was barely a faint whisper as she gasped for breath. “Safe.”   
  
Cross-Country swore as he finally took in the scene. “Where’s the kids?”   
  
“Allie… no baby, don’t leave me!” He watched as she weakly pointed up and to the wall. “What Allie?”   
  
“Safe…” She looked up at Flint and smiled. “Love you.”   
  
“I love you too.” He could feel the tears falling down his cheeks as he felt her take a last breath and her eyes slowly drifted shut. “I love you Allie.”   
  
“Everyone must be in th’ tunnel, Duke!” Cross-Country realized at Lady Jaye’s gesture. He leapt to the back wall and started to pull the panel back. “Scooby Doo! Scooby Doo!” he called, flashing his light inside.   
  
He was answered with voices he longed to hear. “Rob!” “Daddy!”   
  
Duke placed a hand upon the Flint’s shoulder offering what comfort he could. “We need to go Flint, we have to get out of here…Wait, she pointed up also when she said safe.” He looked up and saw what Lady Jaye was directing them to. “Asia?!” He reached up and tore the grate from the ceiling.   
  
“What?” Flint’s head jerked up and caught sight of his daughter sitting above him, her eyes wide, face pale, and her lips moving but no sound coming out. “Asia…” He gently set Alison’s lifeless body on the ground and stretched up, pulling Asia down to him and clutching her to his chest. “Oh Mouse… Asia… my Asia.”   
  
Mollie poked her head out of the darkness. “Oh thank God. She got out just as Allison shut… Allison! Oh no, no, no—”   
  
“They’re here Duke, the rest of ’em, including yours!” Cross-Country said as he ushered his wife back into the tunnel. “Let’s start em movin’.”   
  
“Flint, we have to go now!” Duke urged. “Bring Asia.”   
  
Flint stood still holding his daughter to him and took one last look at his wife. I’ll always love you. Goodbye my Jaye. He turned without another glance and stepped into the tunnel. Duke pulled the panel shut behind them. 

* * * * * * * * * 

Her eyes shot open and quickly glanced around. Familiar stone walls, the rhythmic breathing of the man next to her. She was where she should be. She looked over at him. In sleep, he released most of the tension that controlled his body while awake, and the innocent child that hid below the anger was clearer to see. She carefully pulled the thin blanket back and moved from the bed. She needed a moment to think, to soothe the demon. She made her way outside the caves and sat on the edge of the great cliff, her legs dangling into its black depths. She didn’t know how long she sat there before he came looking for her, but she knew the moment he was behind her.   
  
“Nightmare again?” Shane asked softly as he joined her and wrapped a thin blanket around her shoulders.   
  
She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder, accepting the comfort he always brought with his arm encircling her.   
  
He kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be over one day, Asia. I promise.”   
  
She sighed, her hands caressing his cheek, and then she stood. She took a few steps before turning to him and holding out a hand.   
  
“Yeah.” He jumped up, taking her proffered hand in his. “But for now we go on.”   
  
Asia nodded and glanced behind her at the rising sun. Another day had come, another night survived. And she knew her time was coming.


	10. Change of Seasons

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_The snow has now fallen  
and my sun's not so bright  
I struggle to hold on  
with the last of my might  
In my den of inequity  
viciousness and subtlety  
struggle to ease the pain  
struggle to find the same  
Ignorance surrounding me  
I¹ver never been so filled with fear  
All my life's been drained from me  
The end is drawing near...  
From Innocence by: Dream Theater/Mike Portnoy_

* * * * * * * * 

It was a day that would never be forgotten. Burned into memory of those who survived to tell the tale. London had once been a proud city, steeped in tradition and history. With a love for their roots and a promising look to the future, Britons made sure it had been one of the last to fall to the Empire. Now it continued to be one of the leading resistance areas in the twisted world. No one had a hint of the fate that awaited the once powerful British Isles.   
  
It had begun like all days. People rose from their beds, gathered their families and made their way to the ration lines for food and then to report to their labors as assigned by the ruling party. Conscripts marched to their stations as groups of Cobra regulars maintained order and obedience throughout the city.   
  
They had no warning, aside from the howl as the missile streaked overhead. Mothers hugged children close out of habit and men raised their fists in defiance. A moment later they were vaporized along with every living thing.   
  
And the once proud city was razed… 

* * * * * * * * 

One…two…one…two…the simple rhythm of her breathing and feet as she jogged through the caverns was calming to her. She was often found out running in one spot or another, as it was one way for her to settle her thoughts when they turned to the memories of the past. She looked over her shoulder and smiled as Shane was having trouble keeping up again. She slowed her pace slightly and allowed him to reach her side before slowing to a walk.   
  
“Are you ever gonna let me win?” He asked as he wiped his brow with a rag.   
  
She smiled at him and signed. _“What’s the fun in that?”_   
  
He snorted and tossed the rag on her head. She winked at him and wiped the sweat from her face. He regarded the woman before him and as he often did found himself wondering how she had managed to worm her way into his heart. Her resemblance to her mother was uncanny, with her shoulder length brown hair and her chestnut brown eyes. He also remembered her father well and could see the stubbornness that had been so much a part of Flint.   
  
He knew that despite her sixteen years that deep inside the terrified child that had been scarred by the war was still there. The nightmares proved that over and over again. He had on more than one occasion rocked her to sleep when the dreams became too much for her psyche to handle. Yet she willingly did the same for him when his dreams haunted him. She was as much an anchor to him as he was to her.   
  
_“What are you thinking?”_ She asked, her head cocked slightly as she looked up at his face.   
  
“I’m thinking it’s time for breakfast.”   
  
_“Why am I not surprised? “_ She rolled her eyes.   
  
He laughed. “Hey, I’m a growing boy.”   
  
She shook her head and reached up to caress his muscular arm. “I’d say you’re more than a boy.” Their eyes met for a moment before her face lit up in a look he knew far too well. _“Race you.”_ She was off before he even had a chance to accept the challenge. He chuckled to himself and at a more moderate pace, set off after Asia. 

* * * * * * * * 

Rissa LeBeau rolled over and stretched her sleep-stiffened muscles before tossing the covers back and getting out of bed. Beside her, an arm reached out from beneath the blankets, searching for the warmth that had abandoned him. She smiled and leaned in, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “Time to get up love,” she whispered. “It’s past sunrise.”   
  
A grumbled reply was his response. The arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back into the bed “Still too damn early,” his voice tickled her ear.   
  
“I have a patrol to get to.” She half-heartedly tried to wiggle out of his arms, not really wanting to leave either. “MacBride, I really need to…” She gasped as his lips found her neck. “Med…”   
  
“You were saying?” He growled in her ear as his hands caressed her body beneath her nightie.   
  
“Well, maybe just a few more minutes...” she conceded, allowing herself to relent to his ministrations.   
  
“Knock, knock y’all.”   
  
“Merd.” Rissa cursed when Cammy’s voice came from the curtain that covered the entrance to their quarters.   
  
“Ignore her.” Mac whispered, kissing her.   
  
She giggled. “Remember what happened last time I ignored her?”   
  
“Hmmmm…point.” He rolled back to his side of the bed. “To be continued.” He pulled the thin blankets back up to go back to sleep.   
  
Rissa quirked an eyebrow at him. “No way MacBride…” She yanked the covers away. “Up.”   
  
He sighed and pulled himself out of the bed, his hands following the rough stone wall until he found the trunk that held their clothing. “Better let her in before she does it on her own again.”   
  
Rissa quickly pulled on her heavy trousers and a clean shirt and waited until she was sure Mac had some semblance of decency before she flung the curtain aside and found a cup of coffee shoved under her nose.   
  
“I was about t’ call out the marines on y’all.”   
  
“Oh chere, I have missed that smell.” Rissa breathed deeply of the scent of fresh brewed coffee before taking the cup and bringing it to her lips. She took a sip, relishing the taste. Sighing she murmured, “Sweet caffeine.”   
  
Cammy grinned as she leaned against the wall. “Hey Mac,” she greeted the man when he came into view.   
  
The ex-sniper turned his head towards the sound and smiled. “Do I actually smell coffee?”   
  
“Yup.” Cammy took the second cup she held and placed it in his hand. “Daddy brought in some fresh supplies last night.”   
  
Rissa downed the last of her coffee and handed the cup back to the young woman. “Give me a minute Cammy and I’ll be ready to head out.” She said as she grabbed her pack and began stuffing supplies into it.   
  
“No problem. I just thought y’all would like a taste of java ‘fore everyone else got to it.” She collected the now empty cup from Mac. “I’ll be in the main cavern when you’re ready.”   
  
“Thanks, Cammy.” Mac called as she left. “Where is it this time?” He asked as he found a seat.   
  
Rissa paused and looked up at him. “East side of the bad lands.” She resumed her packing. “Patrols are picking up in the area for some reason.”   
  
“Why your team?”   
  
She sighed. “We’ve been over this before, Cooper. I know that area better than anyone, including Spirit.” She zipped up her pack and walked over to where Mac was sitting. “ C’mon, what’s really bothering you?”   
  
“Guess I’m stir crazy.” His hand found her cheek and caressed it. “Used to be me going out there, remember? Stone walls get a little boring after nine years, even if I can’t really see them.”   
  
“I know Mac.” She kissed him and stepped back. “When I get back I promise to get you out of here for a bit. Maybe we’ll go visit Delta Compound and you can see Shane.”   
  
Mac snorted. “Kid wouldn’t want to see me if I was the last man on Earth and his survival depended on me.”   
  
“Too bad,” Rissa slung her pack over her shoulder. “I’ll get the two of you to talk yet.”   
  
“Clarissa-” He paused as he stumbled over the words.   
  
She stopped at the doorway. “I know Mac, I love you too.” 

* * * * * * * * 

The city expanded itself into the shadows above the creeping gloom as the man stood, his silver mask sparkling slightly in the dim moonlight. He surveyed the silent streets from the balcony as he sipped at his wine and regarded the woman beside him. He had little trust in her, but she would serve his purpose in the end. He smiled behind his glass.   
  
“The city is very quiet tonight.” The Baroness commented.   
  
“It is rather pleasant I think.” He waved his hand indicating the empty streets. “Order is being maintained.”   
  
“Yes, but at what cost? The masses are beginning to question the sanity of the Commander.” She looked behind her at the red-clothed guards. “And so am I.”   
  
Destro simply smiled and took the last sip of his wine. “Then my dear, it is time to change certain things in the order of the Empire.” He motioned McKay forward. “Lieutenant. It is time to deal with our beloved Commander.”   
  
“Yes my lord.” The viper bowed, his eyes catching the Baroness’ own as he turned to leave.   
  
Suspicion colored her tone. “What are you doing Destro?”   
  
The masked man laughed. “Why, can’t you feel it my dear?”   
  
“Stop your games Destro. I am no traitor.” She turned on her heel to find Destro’s personal guards blocking her way. She spun back to Destro and glared. “What is this?”   
  
“A means to an end my dear.” He walked up to her, taking her chin in his hand. “And you shall pull the trigger for me.” 

* * * * * * * * 

Lance Steinburg leaned back in his chair and watched as his wife bustled about the small cavern they called home in Alpha Camp. He had taken the assignment not long after the raid had forced the Joes to separate and locate themselves into smaller communities. He had never been one that had wanted the responsibility of command, but that was before he was thrust into this world and found something worth fighting for. He had also found himself drawn in to the family his predecessor had left behind after his death at the hands of Cobra.   
  
For Bethany, it had been a long, hard road to even be able to look at him without breaking down into tears. Her youngest daughter Olivia, on the other hand, had Lance wrapped around her finger from day one. He had established an uneasy peace with Charlene, one that was stressed almost to breaking after he and Beth were officially married three years before. He knew she would never accept him as her father, but in time she had done so as friend. He shook his head at the amount of changes his life had gone through is so short a time, and knew that he wouldn’t of gone back through the portal if given the chance again.   
  
“Guess who?” A giggling voice whispered as his eyes were suddenly covered.   
  
Lance smiled. “I don’t know. The Easter Bunny?”   
  
“Nope. Try again.”   
  
Beth looked up and shook her head. “When will you grow up?”   
  
Lance snaked a hand behind him and tickled his adopted daughter in the ribs. “Just get in Libby?”   
  
She jumped away, avoiding his second attack and plopped down in the only other chair in the room. “Yeah,” She ran a hand through her dark hair. “And I am done for the next three weeks.” She looked around. “Hey, where’s the rugrat?”   
  
“Ask and ye shall receive.” Beth turned as her two-year-old son came toddling into the room and headed right for his sister. “He was napping.”   
  
Libby flashed an apologizing smile at her mom as she hefted up the toddler onto her lap. “Man, you’re getting heavy Toby.”   
  
“No!” He grinned up at her.   
  
“Well, I can see where he takes after his big sister.” Beth sighed. “I best go relieve Stasha. She walked towards the doorway, stopping to kiss her daughter on the cheek. “Welcome home.”   
  
Libby watched her mother go and turned to the man she called Dad. “Spill it.”   
  
“What?” He looked up from the files he had gone back to.   
  
“Something’s up. Patrols are getting placed back into the badlands again.” She set her wriggling brother onto the floor. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”   
  
Clutch sighed and leaned back into his chair. “Okay, how about ‘I can’t tell ya?’”   
  
She nodded. “That’s fair, but it still means something is up.”   
  
“You’ll find out soon enough, Libby.” His eyes followed his son as Toby wandered over and settled down to play with his toys. “We all will.” 

* * * * * * * * 

Time has no meaning for those trapped in the embrace of the past. They see what they wish, remember what they will, and forget all that they can. For some it comes slow…gradually sneaking up on them in age, like a cat on its prey. For others it happens in an instant, as if someone flips a switch and turns off reality. Nine years ago a man once stood tall and proud. He fought tirelessly to save those around him, but in the end, all seemed lost. In a single act of betrayal by one he had trusted with everything, he lost all hope in the future. For him, time had simply stopped.   
  
He stared blankly ahead, responding to neither her verbal nor tactical stimulations. She sighed heavily and kneeled in front of him, waiting for a response as she softly spoke, attempting to coax him back into reality. “Conrad.” She caressed his cheek, to get his attention. “I know it’s hard, but please come back.”   
  
No response.   
  
She waited another moment before lowering her eyes. _Not all our causalities are dead._ Her own words echoed in her mind as she felt the tears building in her eyes.   
  
“Mom?”   
  
She quickly wiped away the tears before turning to regard her daughters. There was never any mistaking who the twins were, with bright red hair and blue eyes they looked more like their mother every day. They had grown into two confident young adults, and at fifteen years old they both had seen more death and war than any child should have. “I didn’t think you would be back till tomorrow, Kiara.” She stood, brushing her hands on her pants.   
  
“Made better time than Mercer thought we would.” She set her pack on the floor and glanced behind Shana to her father then back to her mother. “How long?”   
  
“Almost two days this time.” She could feel the tears burning again. “It gets worse every time.”   
  
Audra brushed past her sister to gather her mother into an embrace. “He’ll come back mom, he always does.”   
  
Shana clutched her daughter to her, accepting the strength she was offering. “It just kills me to see him like this.”   
  
“We know mom.” Kiara came up and placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “Let me go give my report to Dusty and I’ll come back and sit for a while so you can get some sleep.”   
  
“No,” Shana stepped away from the girls, looking at each in turn. “You both deserve sometime with your friends. “ She rotated both girls towards the door and gently shoved them in that direction. “Go on, go be kids for awhile.” She watched them leave and felt a pain constrict in her heart at the thought of the lost innocence in the children and at the slow steady loss of hope among the adults. She returned to kneeling in front of her husband taking his hand in hers. “It’s all but over.” She laid her head in his lap and allowed the tears to flow. 

* * * * * * * * 

The city was uncommonly alive as she walked the streets. Her dingy clothing helped blend her into the crowds of people that went from one point to another. It had been nearly ten years since she had stepped into the shadows of these buildings and she could feel her heart thud painfully each time a Cobra trooper came into view. She knew he was behind her, she knew that this time she wasn’t alone in this damned place. However, inside her mind she still fought the fear of discovery that meant returning to the hell that she had been rescued from.   
  
She stopped and entered a small shop at the end of the street, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim interior before moving further. She approached the counter, smiling at the attendant. “I heard y’all have fresh bread today.”   
  
The attendant simply quirked an eyebrow before nodding and placing a loaf of rather poor-looking bread on the counter. “You’re lucky, this is the last loaf.”   
  
Sarah pulled a few bills from her pack and passed them to the man. “Must be m’ lucky day then.” She picked up the bread and put it in her pack. “Thank you.” She nodded to the man and without a second glance left the shop, returning to the dirge of the city. She walked until she came to what was once been a park in the center of a neighborhood, not far from the shop. She caught sight of the dark figure stepping out from behind some the rubble of a statue and with a deep sigh of relief, headed towards him.   
  
_Did you get it?_ Snake Eyes signed once Sarah was next to him.   
  
“Yeah,” She patted her pack. “Let’s get the hell outta here. I for one, am ready t’ get back t’ nice solid rock walls.” The silent man nodded and Sarah felt a wave of relief wash over her as she again left the grim of the city behind. 

* * * * * * * * 

“It isss a beautiful sssight is it not, Baronessss?” Cobra Commander motioned towards the monitor.   
  
The Baroness cringed inside at the image on the screen. She had visited London numerous times over the years when it was in its prime and now she could feel the anger building. The sight of the destruction assaulted her vision. “I fail to see the beauty Commander.”   
  
The man waved her words away absently. “To think how sssimple it was to remove that sssmall thorn from my ssside. “   
  
“Simple Commander, but costly as well.” She motioned towards the screen to give herself a moment to gather her argument against such an act. “The number of troops, conscripts and slaves lost is immeasurable.”   
  
“That losssss isss nothing compared to the blow to the resistance in that area,” he stated emphatically, glaring at her. “Not even the mighty Destro has managed to crush the ressssssssistance at this sscale.”   
  
“That is true Commander, but may I remind you that he is the one who did create the virus that nearly wiped out half the population…”   
  
“Mind your tongue Baronessss!” The Commander slammed his fist onto the desk. “While I still allow you to have one.”   
  
She bowed her head in submission, although it galled her. “Forgive me Commander, I meant no offense”   
  
He ignored the apology, his eyes glittering as her stared at the monitor screen. “Yessssssss, I think I shall consider using this method again.” He smiled beneath his hood. “Yessss, a most beautiful sssight.”   
  
Unseen by the chortling commander, the Baroness silently left the office and leaned against the wall in the hallway. He’s mad. She shivered at that thought and the thought of what he was capable of.   
  
“Baroness.”   
  
She swung around, her body on edge. “McKay! What does your master want now?” She sneered the word ‘master’ and brushed past him to walk away.   
  
The soldier calmly followed her. “I am to inform you that all is prepared for the night of the celebration.”   
  
“You can tell that—” She stopped speaking when she turned and the man was no longer following her. Her heart sank in fear as she realized: _You’re in too deep Alexia and there’s no way out this time._

* * * * * * * * 

She forced a deep breath into her lungs as she opened her eyes and felt the walls constrict towards her. _Come on AM, they aren’t moving and_ _you’re not about to become a pancake_. She could hear Blaine moving around the small cavern they occupied and took comfort in the fact that he was still a three dimensional being.   
  
“Hey sleepyhead,” Blaine’s voice echoed off the stone walls. “Time to rise and shine, we’ve got a scheduled party today, remember?”   
  
“Yeah I remember,” she muttered as she tossed the blanket off. “I was just thinking.”   
  
Blaine regarded his wife for a moment. “You ok? You look a little pale.” Her claustrophobia was not something they discussed.   
  
“I’m fine.” She grabbed some clean clothing and quickly dressed for the day. “Come on, I want to see if there’s any coffee ration left.”   
  
“Ann.” Blaine grabbed her arm, stopping her from brushing past the curtain that separated them from the main corridor. “How much longer are you going to pretend that nothing’s wrong?”   
  
“I don’t pretend Blaine. I know all too well.” She sighed then looked up at him. “I just need to do this myself.”   
  
“You’ll remember I’m here when you’re ready for some help?”   
  
She touched his cheek. “Always.” Feeling better, she flashed him a smile. “How could I forget you when you’re such a good bed warmer?”   
  
“Oh ha…ha…ha…come on, before they do run out of coffee.” 

* * * * * * * * 

“What do ya think?” Steeler asked, as he lowered his binoculars.   
  
“They really need to update their uniforms, I mean those masks went out years ago…”   
  
“Kat.” He rolled his eyes.   
  
The girl grinned at him, her brown eyes sparkling with humor. “You’re no fun today.” She turned back to the unit they were surveying. “Okay, I think they’ve been sitting on food supplies long enough and it’s time we did something about it.”   
  
“Agreed. “ He slowly wiggled back from his look out spot. “Let’s get everyone rounded up and go kick some snake ass.”   
  
“You really know how to make a girl’s day.” She whispered as she slithered back to join him below the pile of rocks and dirt. “So what’s the plan?”   
  
Steeler motioned her to follow as he pulled the cover off a manhole and allowed her to drop to the dark depth below, then joined her. “First, we need back up.” He grunted slightly as he pulled the cover back into place. “Second, a way to move those supplies.”   
  
Kat nodded and clicked on her flashlight, sending a small beam of light off into the darkness. “Back-up’s easy. Clair and Mark’s group is in this sector.”   
  
“Good. Send Ethan out to offer an invite to them, RSVP of course.” He paused at a sealed off tunnel, knocking on the pipes once… pausing… then twice. “As for transport, I think TJ and his cronies can hotwire a few trucks for us.” He nodded to the sentry that pulled the false wall open and allowed them entry into where they called home. Steeler glanced around at the squalor and again wondered how he had come to be the leader for the rag-tag band of what had been nothing more than a gang of orphans, runaways and ‘script jumpers just trying to survive. It had been nearly two years since his first run in with the group when they had tried to help themselves to some food supplies at one of the Joe’s safe points. They were an undisciplined, unorganized, ungrateful, and mouthy bunch of street scavenging kids when he first took them under his wings, now…well they were _still_ mouthy… but he had to admit they knew their jobs and were damn good at it.   
  
“Hey Gramps!” Sissy smiled as she took his pack and weapon from him. “Your timing’s perfect- they’re at it _again._ ”   
  
Steeler shook his head and groaned inwardly. “What’s the problem this time?”   
  
“Oh ya know, the usual. One thinks he has more testosterone than the other.” She rolled her eyes. “Maybe ya should just let them duke it out and get it over with at last.”   
  
“Don’t tempt me.” He tossed his jacket to Kat. “Find Ethan and send him out. I’ve gotta go hose down some kids.”   
  
Kat looked over at Sissy who shrugged. “Men!” They both sighed with exasperation before turning and heading off in separate directions.   
  
Steeler could hear the commotion before he saw it. It was something that was becoming a familiar sight to him as he rounded the corner and found a group of his kids formed in a circle around two in the center. He sighed and shook his head as he reached for a bucket of what had been water used earlier to clean clothing. He moved his way through the crowd, which parted once they realized who was trying to get through. He paused at the edge watching the two as they circled each other “What started it this time?” He asked one of the kids watching the action.   
  
“Ben hit on Maggie.” The boy, Seth answered absently. “Again.”   
  
“And they wonder why I get headaches.” Steeler muttered to himself. He brushed past Seth and entered the circle. He shook his head again at the kids and with a quick motion doused both boys with the dirty water from the bucket.   
  
“Hey!” Ben spun round ready to slug away and stopped mid motion. “Aww… shit.”   
  
“What’s the idea?” TJ wiped the water from his face with a dirty hand, succeeding in just smearing more dirt. “Whoever did that is askin’ for…”   
  
“What am I asking for?” Steeler stood, legs braced, bucket in hand. “Alright, everyone but the two soaking wet idiots move out.” He stood, locking both boys in his blue eyes as the group slowly filtered away. “I seem to remember having a conversation about fighting what was, it two days ago?” Both boys looked at the wet ground. “And I distinctly remember having it with two kids that looked a lot like you two.”   
  
“He started it—“ Ben began.   
  
TJ narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists. “You’re the one who hit on Maggie—“   
  
“Do I have to douse you two again?” Steeler interrupted, adding menace to his voice. Both shook their heads. “Maggie is able to take care of herself TJ…” he held up a hand, to stop the coming response. “I know you’re her brother, but back off.” He turned to Ben. “And if I bust you nagging her again, I’ll personally kick your ass myself. Am I clear?”   
  
“Yes sir!” Both boys replied, albeit grudgingly.   
  
He nodded once and handed the bucket to Ben. “TJ, I got a mission for you. Go get cleaned up and find Kat, she’ll fill ya in. Ben, you go give Sissy a hand in the mess.“ He watched as both boys moved off with glares at each other and again shook his head and silently wondered again… why? 

* * * * * * * * 

Life had become an unending stream of loss for Courtney Rudat. First, her model looks by the scar that marred her face, then her daughter to the fever, and in the end, her chance to have another child. Cobra had taken far too much from her, and she swore that they would never have the chance again. She watched as Jessica played on the worn area rug and again silently thanked whatever fates had brought the girl to her. After failing to find the girl’s parents among the survivors, both she and Dusty decided that it was best to take the girl in. It was with the child that she had again found the will to carry on and continue to fight. The girl, now at twelve-years old, was forever trapped in a child’s mind and needing an adult’s care and attention.   
  
“Momma look.” Jessica smiled proudly as she held up the small drawing she had been laboring over.   
  
“It’s beautiful.” Courtney sat down on the floor and hugged the girl close. “It looks just like your brothers.” She felt a stab of pain at the thought of both William and Ezra off on patrol somewhere in the badlands. She hadn’t slept soundly since they had left three weeks earlier. “You’ll have to give this to them when they get back.”   
  
Jessica smiled again and promptly went back to her drawing. “Momma, when will they be back?”   
  
“Soon,” she glanced again at the picture.   
  
“Today?”   
  
“No, not today.” She looked over Jessica’s head, smiling as Dusty entered. “But it’ll be before you know it.”   
  
Dusty knelt beside them and kissed Jessica on the head. “Looks like someone’s been busy today.” He glanced over the floor, which was covered in drawings. He ruffled Jessie’s hair when she looked up and smiled. “I’ll need to try and get you more paper. Hey Jessie, how would you like to stay with Savannah for a while tonight?” His eyes met Courtney’s as she shot him a startled look.   
  
“Can I take Teddy?” She asked, referring to the stuffed bear Dusty had found not long after she came to live with them.   
  
“Sure.” He stood and helped his daughter up. “Go get Teddy and whatever else you want to take.” He waited until she had disappeared behind the curtain in her corner.   
  
“What’s wrong?” Courtney asked as she made herself busy gathering up the drawings and placed them on the rickety table. “It’s not…”   
  
“No, the boy’s are fine, should be on their way in by now.” He quickly squelched the fear he knew she was building up.   
  
“Then what?”   
  
“We just got word they want a transmission tonight. Everyone attends. Anna’s gonna mind the kids.”   
  
She smiled more in relief than anything as Jessica came back into the room, teddy bear clutched in her arms. “Do we know why?”   
  
He shook his head. “All I know is that everyone who can come is supposed to.” He leaned in close and whispered. “Something big is happening or has happened. No one knows what.”   
  
“We’ll know soon enough.” She sighed. “I just hope it’s not as bad as we think it is.”   
  
Dusty nodded and gazed at both his wife and daughter, silently praying she was right. 

* * * * * * * * 

The medical cavern was quiet, as it had been when Ed had left that morning to grab some sleep. He smiled to himself as he wandered through the sick room and noted the empty beds, and then the lack of fever victims among those that were occupied. With the introduction of Kay’s vaccine nine years earlier, the mortality rate from the fever was in half in a matter of months. Now cases were few and far in-between, even among those in the city. Most of the people that were in the facility now were the wounded from skirmishes with Cobra patrols.   
  
He quietly made his way to the back of the cavern pulling the curtain that separated Kay’s meager lab from the rest of the medical ward. He leaned nonchalantly against the wall and watched as Kay stared through her archaic microscope. “I thought we agreed you would come take a nap at lunch?”   
  
She startled, swinging around to face him. “Don’t do that Ed!” She scolded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the wooden counter. “You just about gave me a heart attack. She brushed her dark hair back from her face before turning back to her work.   
  
“Sorry.” He pushed off the wall, coming over and wrapping his arms around her from behind, his hands finding the bulge just beginning to appear in her abdomen. “But you need your rest and we have that meeting in three hours.”   
  
“I’m almost done.” She scribbled some notes on a sheet of paper. “This is the last sample to go over today.”   
  
Ed kissed the back of her neck. “You said you were almost done eight hours ago, Witch.”   
  
“Keep it up Eddie,” she pulled the slide off the tray of the scope and placed it in a row with the others, “and I won’t give you the good news.”   
  
He released her and quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”   
  
“Yeah, I’m done and I’m starving.” She filed her notes away in a box and wrapped an arm around Ed’s waist leading him from the lab. “Oh, by the way, all the kids are clean.”   
  
He stopped, forcing her to stall her forward motion as well. “Clear?”   
  
“Yes.” She grinned up at him. “Clear, as in no sign of the virus, but they all have the antigens.”   
  
“Kay do you know what this means?” He scooped her up and swung her around the room in a tight embrace. “They’re immune! It’s over! You are the greatest, most wonderful Witch I have ever met!”   
  
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well you’re married to me so I would hope so.” She pulled him in for a kiss. “And you’re welcome.”   
  
“I love you Kaylee.” His hands settled on her abdomen.   
  
“I know.”” She smiled her hand resting atop his. “Ed.”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Your wife is starving!”   
  
With a laugh and the first flare of hope Ed Steen and felt in a long time he took her hand and together they walked to whatever the future held for them. 

* * * * * * * * 

It was into controlled chaos that Sarah Hardy entered when she slipped into the massive building that was serving as the meeting point. She quickly caught sight of her husband’s cowboy hat standing near the front and slowly made her way towards him. She greeted those who called their welcomes to her as she passed and breathed a sigh of relief when she reached Bill’s side.   
  
“Looks like the whole party’s here.” She had to shout to be heard above the din of voices. “Are they sure this is safe?”   
  
Bill absently wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders drawing her close. “As safe as it can be. I don’t like it, but I was out-voted on this one.” He glanced at the other camp leaders and then at the crowd.   
  
“Be a bad time for an attack.” Sarah voiced his fears.   
  
“Come on the others are headin’ to the back.” He led her with his arm and soon they were free of the crowd and in the silence of the backroom where Blaine and Ann-Marie had set up their gear. “Damn you two are getting’ fast at this.”   
  
“Practice makes perfect.” Ann-Marie smiled over her shoulder. “We can set up and tear down in less than 20 now.”   
  
“As for if the equipment works-” Blaine cursed and crawled back under his table to wiggle some wires. “-is another story. How’s that, Babe?”   
  
Ann glanced at his screen. “Well, you won’t be getting Ever Quest graphics on that screen Hacker, but it’ll work for now.”   
  
“Sorry we’re late.” Shana smiled tiredly as she helped Duke into the room. “But someone decided he wanted to come after all.” Several cries of welcome went up in the room and Duke smiled at each of the people present. “Thanks,” Shana said as she helped Duke settle into a chair.   
  
“Link up in two gang.” Ann-Marie’s voice carried over the din of welcomes. “Feed is tied into the main hall.”   
  
“Here we go, Babe.” Blaine smiled and hit the keys.   
  
The screen cleared with a moment of static and suddenly Dial-Tone’s grinning face appeared. “Signal is settling in good on my end Blaine.”   
  
“We’re good here too, Jack.”   
  
“Copy. Stand by.” Jack’s face disappeared to be replaced by Beach-Head’s.   
  
“Hello, long time no see.” The former drill sergeant saluted those present. “Good t’ see the lot of yah still in one piece out there.”   
  
“Same goes for you.” Mercer replied, taking the role of CO. “But this ain’t a personal call is it?”   
  
The smile disappeared from Wayne’s face. “No it’s not. We got some images from England; London to be precise and well, it’s easier to just show yah.” He nodded to someone off to the side. “These were taken about twelve hours ago.”   
  
The screen went black for a moment before the familiar landscape of London appeared before them. It looked as most of them had remembered it from before the commutation with the continent twelve years ago. They watched as a well-known smoke trail from a missile shot across the blue sky pictured in front of them. Then the roar as the mushroom cloud appeared and the city turned to ash before their eyes.   
  
Outside in the main hall they could hear the cries of despair as the shock spread through the populace assembled there.   
  
The screen remained on the bleak scene a moment longer before being replaced with Wayne’s familiar profile. “We lost the satellite not long after that.”   
  
“My God,” Sarah’s whisper seemed like a shout in the silence.   
  
“We’ve also had scattered reports of missiles going off over Moscow, Berlin, and Rome. “   
  
“He’s making the finial push.” Mercer spoke, breaking the silence amongst the group. “With the fever under control his grip is failing.”   
  
“Agreed.” Wayne stated grimly.   
  
“But the question is,” Bill’s southern drawl echoed in the room. “What’s he gonna do next?”   
  
“No,” Mercer countered. “The question is: how the hell do we stop him.”


	11. Into the Fire

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_Hearts are worn in these dark ages  
You’re not alone in these stories’ pages  
The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying  
And I’ll try to hold it in  
Yeah I’ll try to hold it in_

_I watch the heavens but find no calling  
Something I can do to change what’s coming  
Stay close to me while the sky’s falling  
I don’t wanna be left alone don’t wanna be alone_

_We part the veil on our killer sun  
Stray from the straight line on this short run  
The more we take the less we become  
The fortune of one man means less for some_

_The Worlds on fire…  
From World on Fire By Sarah McLachlan and Pierre Marchand _

* * * * * * * 

The city was still. Few moved among the gloom aside from those required to march in the dim light of twilight. They marched to and fro in a never- ending beat thrum… thrum of boot upon concrete. In passing, one might whisper to another, but the wind would carry the words before they could pollute the hush. So they moved, the pattern never ending, growing complacent in the stillness of the coming night. However, in the smugness born from absolute control, they forge their own weaknesses.   
  
Sounds that once would have raised alarm go unheeded. Brief breaks in shadow, unnoticed. The elite remain cloaked in the shroud of their arrogance.   
  
Until it is too little, too late.   
  
“Looks like the normal party, two on the main perimeter, two inside the fence line, and one in the warehouse.” TJ reported when he had slithered back from the vantage point. “And most of them are half asleep.”   
  
Steeler nodded. “Prolly bored out of their minds by now.” He glanced at his watch. “Pass the word we move on my command.”   
  
“You got it gramps,” TJ smiled as he moved down the line.   
  
“Will they stop calling me that?” Steeler muttered as he shook his head. “I ain’t that old.”   
  
“Compared to them, you’re ancient.” Clair snickered softly as she came up beside the blond man. “And before you ask, yes Mark is in position to cut the comm. lines when we move.”   
  
“Good,” He pulled his binoculars back up to scan the area. “By the way, how’s Brad?”   
  
“Getting big.” She smiled as she thought of her five year old son back at the main camp. “And never stops talking.”   
  
“What ya say we get this over with so ya can get back to him?”   
  
She smiled as she cradled her rifle. “I like that plan.”   
  
“Move in.” Steeler called over his comm.   
  
In concert, the team moved to their assigned places. Mark cut the comm lines; TJ and his team took out the main guards while Kat neutralized the one in the warehouse. In a matter of minutes, it was over.   
  
“This was easy.” Clair remarked over her shoulder to Steeler as everyone quickly moved the food supplies to the main bay for loading. “Maybe a little too easy?”   
  
Steeler nodded as his eyes roamed the shadows of the decaying building. “I agree. So let’s get this stuff loaded and get outta here.”   
  
Clair shouldered her rifle and pulled the cargo bay door open, allowing their trucks to enter into the large building. “Alright! Everyone grab a box and pass it up!” She commanded.   
  
“No one outside, and no alarms,” Mark said as he hopped out of the first truck in line. “This isn’t right.”   
  
Steeler frowned as he nodded to Mark’s comment. He pulled out his radio and asked the scouts if there was any activity. When they replied in the negative, he added, “Keep on your toes.”   
  
The kids that comprised Steeler’s team made efficient work of moving the crates of supplies into the back of the trucks. In less than ten minutes, the horded rations were stowed and the team members were on the trucks themselves to protect their precious cargo.   
  
“There’s enough here to feed the teams for over a year,” Clair commented as the last truck was filled and the once full warehouse now stood empty.   
  
“Three month’s worth for the civilians,” Kat added as she swung up onto the tailgate. “We’ve got a lot of hungry people waiting for this.” She checked her rifle and got ready for the ride.   
  
“I still say this was too easy.”   
  
“And I still agree, Clair,” Steeler said as he pulled himself into the driver’s seat of the last truck and she took the passenger’s side, “but let’s not jinx the moment.”   
  
The city was silent as the convoy made its way through the dark streets, the citizens unaware of the battle taking place that night so that perhaps some of them might eat the next morning. Unaware of the coming storm that brews in the distance.   
  
Until it’s too little, too late… 

* * * * * * * 

Floating somewhere between sleep and awake, the stray thought of blessed ignorance wafted across his mind. It was here, in the early morning hours before the duties and obligations of the day, that the world was far away and only the now mattered.   
  
He smiled as she shifted against him, her skin warm and silky, deceptive of the lean muscles that lay beneath. He caressed a hand over her naked back, and contemplation of a morning tryst formed. It was happening more and more often in the morning, falling into bed exhausted from the day’s work and wanting only to rest, after a night’s sleep the body and spirit were much more willing.   
  
“Hey- you awake?” he whispered against her temple, reaching up to brush the hair from the side of her face. He felt her skin move beneath his fingertips as her lips curled into a sleepy smile.   
  
Shane pressed a kiss to her temple and trailed down to nibble on her ear, his hand beginning to slide forward to tease Asia to roll towards him. She started to turn when voices filed the hallway from beyond the curtain that defined their personal space.   
  
“—I heard that Destro is concentrating his troops and activities to his main headquarters.”   
  
“That’s the latest intel. I think that soon we’re gonna be plannin’ his demise and that of Cobra all together—“   
  
The voices faded, but the damage had been done. The instant the name “Destro” had been said Asia’s head had snapped up and she listened intently. Without a backwards glance, she slid from the blankets, quickly dressed and disappeared around the curtain to follow the men.   
  
Shane slammed his fist into the warm depression where she had been moments before. He threw himself on his back and huffing a frustrated sigh, rolled up into a seated position. Grabbing his clothes, he tossed them on and stalked towards the common area to get some coffee. He knew there was no talking to her now that her mind was fixated on one thing: the damn demon in the silver mask.   
  
The morning breeze flowed over her as she sat on the edge of the cliff and looked out into the fast fading starlit sky. She had been unable to get any more information to begin to plan her own vendetta. She clutched the beret in her hand, the dried blood marring the once green fabric. It was the last piece of her father that she held, aside from the knowledge of what he had sacrificed to save her from the fever. She hated him for that. She loved him for it. Now the fire burned in her. Smoldering, it lay under her skin until it was set to explode into the flames of hate that she harbored. She would face him. She would kill him. She’d have her revenge.   
  
The masked man would die. 

* * * * * * * 

“Our _beloved_ leader is a fool,” Destro muttered with a sarcastic edge as he and McKay strode down the hallway towards their leader’s office. “What is the use of conquering the world if there is nothing left to rule?”   
  
“I do not know, my lord.” McKay’s calm voice carried over the din in the halls.   
  
Destro smiled tightly. “No you wouldn’t. “ He paused as McKay pulled the door open for him. ‘Wait here. I won’t be long.” The Viper nodded.   
  
“You’re late, Desstro.” Cobra Commander waved him in without looking up from the papers on his desk.   
  
The masked man bowed, light glinting off his silver dome. “Forgive me Commander. I had a pressing matter in security. I came as soon as I could.” Destro fought to keep the contempt from his tone. The desire to just shoot the madman before him and be done with it was nearly overwhelming.   
  
“Ah yesss.” He tossed the papers aside in a dramatic flair. “I find your _ssssecurity_ lacking as of late. Perhapsss you care to explain yourssself?” his eyes glared from beneath the hood.   
  
Destro thought quickly, picking his words carefully. “I would, Commander, if I was certain of what you referred to.”   
  
The Commander hissed in rage and flung a file at the man. “Uprisssingsss are out of control! In the lassst week alone we have lossst more ground than in the lassst ten yearssss!”   
  
“Ahhh yes, that security problem.” Destro calmly opened the file and took a moment to glance at its contents. “It appears that your little _demonstration_ of last month produced the opposite results that you wished.”   
  
The emphasis was not lost on the Commander. Rage flashed in his eyes and he trembled, trying to control his urge to thrash the insolence out of Destro. “You _dare_ to question my decccisionsssss?” Almost as instantaneously as his anger flared, he was calm again. A feral grin formed under the fabric of his mask. “Perhaps,” he turned and waged his finger in the air as he paced behind his desk, “I sssshall send another city to asssh.”   
  
“I do not question your decisions, my dear Commander. Just your methods. Perhaps this time we can use something less-" he paused, searching for the right word. “-destructive.”   
  
“Bah!” The Commander slammed a fist on his desk. “I will not allow these revoltsss to continue Dessstro and I will not give them mercy!”   
  
Destro smiled maliciously, seeing his opportunity to get what both men wanted. “I do not suggest mercy Commander, never mercy… but what is the use of ruling the world if you have nothing left but rubble and ashes to rule?”   
  
The Commander sat back down and leaned into his chair, hand coming to chin as he thought. “Yesss, a valid point Dessstro. What is it that you suggest?”   
  
The masked man came forward, leaning on the front edge of the large desk. “There are other means in our arsenal, Commander, just as lethal, that shall do away with the problem of the masses and leave the cities standing.” He straightened, pulling a paper from his pocket. “We can then repopulate with those loyal to Cobra.”   
  
The Commander studied the notes for a moment before looking up. “Yessss Desstro, thisss isss perfect.” He laughed manically. “I want you to see to the implementation of thissss plan personally.”   
  
“As you wish, my Commander.” He bowed, though the act repulsed him more each time. “Where shall our next ‘example’ be?”   
  
The Commander opened a drawer on his left and from it, pulled out an innocuous-looking dart. “Shall we let fate decide?” Blindly he tossed it over his shoulder, and then turned to see where on the map tacked to the wall behind him it chose. It was in the middle of Antarctica. With a growl, he muttered “To hell with fate.” and yanked the dart out of the plaster. Cobra Commander stabbed the dart back into the wall with enough force that plaster dust drifted from beneath the paper. “Now _that_ will do nicely. Yesss… very nicely.” He turned back to the man watching him in silence. “Get out.”   
  
“Yes Commander.” Destro bowed one last time before turning and exiting the office. Motioning for McKay to follow him, he waited until there was sufficient distance between him and the Commander before speaking. “Our beloved Commander,” he spat the words out as if there taste was foul in his mouth, “has decided that another example needs to be made.”   
  
McKay shook his head. “Is this wise, my lord? That just may infuriate and rally the masses into more action.”   
  
Destro glanced at his lieutenant from the corner of his eye. “Yes McKay, that is a chance we will have to take.” He smiled evilly. “However, that chance will work for my plan, if it happens.” He nodded, agreeing with himself. “Now come, we have another city to kill.” 

* * * * * * * 

_Tap…tap. Tap… tap. Tap… tap._   
  
The sound of knocking on wood roused Kurt Schnurr, the man once called Airtight, from the light sleep he had fallen into only a few hours earlier. He rose quickly, trying not to wake his wife, but failing as Catherine groaned and rolled over. Grabbing his sidearm from the nightstand, he quietly made his way from the bedroom to the small front room of their Chicago apartment and paused at the door to the hallway. The knocking continued in a distinct pattern, knock, long pause knock, short pause. Opening the door with his gun at the ready, the man who stood with his hand raised didn’t even bat an eye at the gun pointed at his face. Kurt felt a moment of panic when he faced the Cobra officer standing there, despite the proper pattern of knocking. He took note of the face mask that normally hid the features of its wearer instead hung loose at the man’s neck and clamed himself.   
  
He was one of them.   
  
The man’s voice was choked and disembodied. “Get out of the city.”   
  
“What?” Kurt’s question was a harsh whisper. “Why?”   
  
“He’s sacrificing all of us… even his own troops.” The man backed away from Kurt, shaking his head. “Get out while you can.”   
  
Airtight watched in disbelief as the man pulled up his mask and disappeared into the hallway’s shadows. He shut the door, wondering if the warning was legitimate. More and more often, the troops of Cobra were losing faith in Cobra’s promises and becoming sympathetic to the rebels. Some, in the shock of the truth, became confused and began seeing death around every corner, in every nook. Kurt wondered which this was as he clicked the safety on his gun and walked back to the bedroom. He decided to check in with his contact and see if anything had been intercepted over the airwaves to validate the trooper’s claim. He crept back into the bedroom and pulled up the worn carpet in the corner, exposing the trap door where his gear was hidden.   
  
Cathy rolled back over, her voice sleepy. “What is it?”   
  
“Don’t know. I’m calling in to double check. Better get up and dressed anyway.” He lifted the comm set from the hiding place and was closing it again when he heard a sound and froze.   
  
“Kurt?” Cathy paused as she was getting up. “That sounds like incoming fire.”   
  
The reverberation of a simple boom erupted in the silent night and shook the building. Kurt ran to the window and stared out, as more missiles exploded in the sky, sending a yellow haze descending lazily on the sleeping city. “Holy shit!” He ran back to the trapdoor, flinging it open and yanking out his old equipment. “Cathy! We gotta go now!” He pulled on clothes and shoes as she did, running out into the living room with her on his heels. Wrapping a jacket he had left on a chair across her shoulders, he checked his gun before opening the front door. He canvassed the hallway before letting he come out, and then the couple made for the darkened streets.   
  
Above them the haze came down.   
  
“Kurt, what’s happening?” Cathy’s fright-filled voice shook as she ran behind her husband and attempted not to slip on the snowy ground.   
  
He skidded to a stop suddenly, nearly causing Cathy to collide with him. He handed her his equipment pack, then reached down to pull the cover off a manhole. He took the pack back, and tossed it down before grabbing Cathy. “Down.” He commanded as he glanced up at the sky.   
  
Without argument she disappeared into the dark depths below. Kurt slid down the ladder after her and picked up his pack from the puddles. Searching it quickly, he found the flashlight he kept and turned on its beam. He snatched her hand and looked into her eyes. “Please don’t ask, just run.”   
  
They ran, feet pounding the pavement and splashing through the puddles.   
  
He had no idea how far they had gone before he got a whiff of an odor he knew was not sewage. _Damn it! No, not yet!_ He shined the light back at his wife, her face pale with fear. He tugged her along for a few more minutes before she fell, and he knew the inevitable had come. As she scrambled to her feet, he stopped and tore into his pack. Flinging gear aside as he searched for what he needed. “Put this on.” He tossed his helmet to her as he donned his old uniform.   
  
She coughed. “No. You need the whole suit to survive.”   
  
“Cathy…”   
  
“Don’t argue.” She put his helmet back in his hands. “Get your tank on and go, you need to let them know what’s happened here.” She reached up caressed his cheek before kissing him. “I love you. Always remember that.” She took the helmet from his hands and placed it over his head, then reached down and picked up his tank. Helping him slip into the shoulder straps, she felt her head begin to spin as he connected the tank to his helmet. Her last act was to activate the valve so that the air flowed. “Go.”   
  
He grabbed her as she suddenly gasped and fell against his chest, coughing. “Cathy!” He held her as spasms wracked her body as she fought to breathe. He wanted to close his eyes tight to the horror that the toxins worked on its victims, but his mind refused. He stared at his wife, in the dim light of the flashlight as blood and saliva foamed at her mouth as her lungs gradually popped cell by cell. Her eyes bulged and blood vessels burst, causing a stream of bloody tears to streak her face and drip on his arm, staining the fabric red. The death grip of her hand on his arm slipping as he held her until finally, she relaxed into a dead stillness.   
  
His logic mind told him he needed every second of that precious oxygen to get out off the city, but his heart wanted to stay for a moment longer with his wife. Finally, he made a decision. He would not leave his wife alone in the sewers of Chicago for any surviving mammals to pick her apart. He laid her down long enough to take an emergency blanket from his pack and sling the near-empty bag across his shoulders. He carefully wrapped Cathy in the blanket and cradled her. Going as fast as he could with his burden, he managed to get back up to the streets. There he was met with a grisly sight: scattered people on the cold pavement lying where they dropped as they tried to out run the chemical cocktail dropped from the clouds. After two blocks, he found what he was hoping for. Parked in an alleyway, a Cobra patrol vehicle was still running, its driver and guard dead in their seats.   
  
He yanked open the passenger side door and tugged on the soldier who tumbled to the ground in a heap. Setting Cathy in the seat, he slammed the door shut and ran to the other side, relieving the driver of his space and jumping in. Jamming the transport into gear, the words of the soldier at the door earlier echoed in his mind: _He’s sacrificing all of us… even his own troops…_   
  
Kurt turned out of the alley and drove away, not noticing the cool wisp of air in his helmet that gave him life, or the chill it added to his tears. Behind him the city silently died. 

* * * * * * * 

It was the darkness that taunted him. The shadows that encased him into their bleak existence. For over nine years he had not seen on a sunset or sunrise. The memory of color was all he could depend on.   
  
Once he would have been one of the first called on to serve. Once he would have taken up his gun and used his skills to save those he loved. Once he was a viable member of a team. Now he was a person trapped in a never-ending night. And hoping that he would never forget what the light looked like. Trusting in others to protect him. He was a burden. It nagged him, like an itch that couldn’t be reached. He hated it.   
  
He planned to change it.   
  
The familiar motions of his body calmed him as he went through his daily routine of exercises. They gave his mind a rhythm that quieted the fear that loomed in his mind. He moved gracefully from one stance to another, always mentally tracking his progress across the room. When he had first started he had stumbled, into the wall, what little furniture there was, anybody standing in the room, or all three. That was then. Now… now he knew how to control what he could not see.   
  
This is how she found him. With a sigh and shake of her head she set her pack down and leaned against the wall to watch him as he did his dance through the dark. She loved everything about this man. The way his body moved, the flash of fire that still flared in his eyes. The stubbornness that drove him to the desired goal. There were however, times she cursed that streak in him, and the fact that his son was just as hard headed.   
  
He finished his Tia Chi with a finial twist of body and muscle. Snake Eyes had worked long to convince him it wasn’t foolishness to learn the patterns of exercises. He held his final pose a moment as he gathered his thoughts. With uncanny accuracy that belied his disability, he turned to the person that awaited him, a lopsided smile on his face. “I know you’re there, Rissa.”   
  
“I don’t know why I try sneaking up on ya.” She pushed herself off the wall and into his open arms. “I missed you.”   
  
“I know.” He held her tight for a moment before releasing her and turning to grab his shirt. “I wasn’t expecting you back for another week.”   
  
“Me neither, but we were called back in.” She chewed her lip in contentment as his muscles rippled. “Hmmmm… nice view.”   
  
He paused in pulling the shirt on. “Called back?” He turned back to face her, his blue eyes staring blankly beyond her. “All of you?”   
  
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Most of the patrols from the badlands are moving in towards their home bases. As to the ones in the city…”   
  
“Yeah, I know.” He reached out and took her hand in his as he moved past her into the main hall. “No patrol knows the exact location of the other.” He felt her shift her grip for a moment as she re-slung her pack onto her shoulder. “But if they’re pulling you in…”   
  
“Exactly.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “They’re planning something.”   
  
He nodded. “I just wish I knew what the hell it was.”   
  
“We’ll find out soon enough, I’m sure.” She guided him down the corridor that would lead to their quarters. “Right now, I want to forget about patrols, Cobra, and whatever the brass is planning.” She tugged the curtain aside to their living area and dropped her pack on the floor. With a not so gentle yank, she pulled Mac down onto their bed. “How about you?”   
  
He was only too happy to agree. This was one thing he didn’t need to see to be excellent at. 

* * * * * * * 

The yawn caught him by surprise, it was so huge he swore he heard his jaw pop. His eyes burned with fatigue as he leaned back in his chair, almost too far back and he jerked forward to keep from falling backwards. He had been working for the last twelve hours in an attempt to crack the last of the encryption codes for the Cobra main computer. He was more than ready to toss his hands up in defeat at the task, but each time he thought of Ann-Marie and the terror when he thought he had lost her. _Never again…_ he forcefully told himself and turned back to his task.   
  
“If yaw blink, it might help your eyes uncross Hacker.” Ann-Marie whispered as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. She kissed his cheek before settling on the corner of his desk, eyes searching his face. “You look dead.”   
  
He sighed, hating to agree with her. “I am, but I can’t quit now. I think I’ve almost got it this time.” He motioned towards his monitor.   
  
“Blaine, you’ve ‘almost got it’ for over a week now.” She nudged his knee with the toe of her boot. “And you’re starting to talk in binary when you’re asleep.”   
  
“Huh? I do not.”   
  
“Yes you do.” She nodded to prove her point, grinning all the while. “And you snore.”   
  
He chuckled and felt a small bit of the tension in his shoulders release. “I know what you’re up to babe, and any other time I would jump at the chance…”   
  
“Well, you do tend to rise to the occasion.” Her toe now poked a little higher up his thigh.   
  
“Ha, ha. Very funny.” He swatted her foot away from advancing any further. “I’d get this done faster if you stop playing.”   
  
Ann-Marie sighed and slid off his desk, and slumped into her chair. “You’re no fun today.” She watched as he shrugged and went back to his screen. “What are you using?”   
  
“That code Jack sent with Mercer.” He looked over at her, puzzled. “Why?”   
  
“Just a sec...” She rolled up to her to her own system and tapped away at the keys for several minutes. “It can’t be that simple.” She worked a few moments more and spun her chair around. “Divide every third number by twelve-point-six.”   
  
“Okaaaaaaay.” He did as instructed and suddenly, one by one the numbers metamorphosed into readable text. “Ann-Marie?” He said quietly as he looked at her with one eyebrow quirked slightly.   
  
“Yes, Hacker?” She replied innocently.   
  
“How. Did. You. Know?”   
  
“Easy.”   
  
“Easy? EASY?!” He waved at the screen. “I’ve been fighting that thing for three months now.”   
  
“And I asked if you wanted my help two months ago.” She matched his emphasis, but smiled sweetly. “So I took it on myself to figure it out.” She jumped up and struck a pose, arms held high and out. “Behold the wonderment that is the female brain.”   
  
He stared blankly at her for a moment before shaking himself. “When did you…”   
  
She dropped her arms. “About five minutes before I walked in.” She broke into laugher at the sight of her husband’s face… a mixture of disbelief, torment, jealousy, and the urge to kill. “Blaine…” She couldn’t finish as the laughter became too much, and she slumped back into her chair, still giggling.   
  
“Some day Ann-Marie, I swear, some day.” He kicked her chair.   
  
“Now.” She stood up again and pulled Blaine’s chair back from his desk. “Commit that to disk and then you are going to come to bed.”   
  
“Is sleep what you have in mind?”   
  
She suddenly became serious. “For you, yes.” 

* * * * * * * 

“So we agree?” Mercer’s sharp eyes scanned the faces of the other camp leaders around him, accepting the nods as an affirmative. “Good. Get your people together and make sure they understand exactly what’s expected of them. We move out in ten hours. Dismissed.”   
  
One by one and talking amongst themselves, they filed out of the cavern that was utilized as a meeting area to return to their bases. From where she had remained seated, Shana Hauser watched the group with mixed feelings. She knew that the climax of what they prepared for had been building for longer than any of them wanted to admit, but she also wondered how many of them would live to see the end.   
  
“Something on your mind?” Mercer asked, settling his hip against the table as he regarded his co-leader.   
  
She smiled slightly. “Where would you like me to start?” She took a deep breath and waved a hand toward the doorway which everyone had exited. “You know most of these ‘soldiers’ aren’t more than kids? And we’re asking them to fight a war that’s become the end-all of their lives?”   
  
“Would ya rather have them enslaved or dead without a fight?”   
  
She shook her head, red hair hiding her features. “No, no… I just wonder… what the future holds for them and us.”   
  
A heavy silence descended as Mercer thought for a moment. “Well, one things for sure. When we die we’ll all be in Heaven.”   
  
She snorted. “How do you know?”   
  
“’Cause we already live in Hell.” 

* * * * * * * 

“Sarah! Have ya seen that hard headed daughter of yours?” Bill pitched his coat on the floor once inside the small cavern he and Sarah shared. He caught sight of his daughter seated beside her mother at the rickety table going over files in the electric lantern light.   
  
“You don’t need to shout, I’m right here. And why is she only my daughter when there’s a problem?” Sarah looked up from her reports and gauged her husband’s mood in a glance at his eyes. “William…”   
  
“Don’t get in my way, Sarah.” He leaned over the table and grabbed the file in front of Cammy. If he didn’t have her full attention, he did now. “I want a word with ya, young lady.”   
  
She sat back in her chair, arms crossed in defiance. “Talk all ya want Daddy, it ain’t gonna change anything.” Cammy reached out and snatched the file back. “I got my orders same as ya did.”   
  
“Ya ain’t goin’ within a foot of that city, Camille Josephine Hardy.”   
  
Sarah sat back with a sigh. The use of the full name meant war.   
  
“I ain’t a fuckin’ baby!” She jumped up, knocking her chair over with the force. “I can take care of myself!”   
  
His hand smacking her mouth was too fast for her to duck. “Ya DO NOT speak like tha’ in front of me, young lady!”   
  
She locked her dark eyes onto his. “Why not? You should know since ya taught me.”   
  
Sarah watched as father and daughter all but circled each other as their unending battle of wills geared up for another round. Both too stubborn to admit to the other that maybe the other was right. She sighed again, knowing that Bill had his reasoning for his protective streak. Lying in bed at night when they were together, he confessed in a whisper his greatest fear was that after burying two children they’d lose their baby girl also. However, he had truly tightened his grip not after Jeb’s death, but after he had nearly lost her. In his mind he was protecting. Instead, he was smothering and in that pushing Cammy away. Sarah shook her head and made a mental note to find a frying pan to use on her husband’s hard head.   
  
“This ain’t about ya takin’ care of yourself--”   
  
Cammy snorted, interrupting his excuses. “It sure as hell is! Since Jeb died ya ain’t done nothin’ but keep me back in the badlands and close to base.” She came around the table, orders in hand and reached down to pick up her pack from where it rested against the wall. “I know that city better than anyone. _I’m_ goin’ and nothin’ _you_ do is gonna change that!” She ducked past him before he could react and out into the corridor.   
  
“Camille!” He spun to go after her and nearly ran Sarah over. Standing between him and the door, hands on her hips, she shook her head. “Sarah…”   
  
“William Sylvester Hardy, sit your stubborn Texan ass down before I knock ya on it.” She pointed at the chair she had vacated. She waited as he deposited himself in it. “I swear I should just take you two, lock ya in a room and come back to see who’s left alive after a few hours.”   
  
Bill took a deep breath as he reigned in his temper. “She can be just as useful outside the city as in it. There are other people that know them streets.”   
  
Sarah crossed her arms. “When will ya admit that she’s grown up?”   
  
“I still see that little girl in pigtails running around after me. I never wanted her to grow up like she did.”   
  
She picked up the chair that Cammy had left on its side. “Look at me.” She turned his face towards hers with a finger to his jaw. “She’s twenty-four years old, Bill. She’s not a baby anymore and we can’t protect her forever.”   
  
“We can’t lose her.”   
  
“I know.” She smiled softly. “You’re forgetting she’s a survivor. So is Dustin.”   
  
He looked sadly into her eyes. “So was Jeb.”   
  
“You know I’m terrified of losing them too, Bill. “ She stood, moving to sit on his lap. “Of losing you. But I can’t keep you or them locked up here. I won’t do that because it’ll take away everything I love about y’all.”   
  
“Sarah…”   
  
She placed a finger on his lips. “Shhh… she has to go. We can’t change that. All we can do is love her and support her.”   
  
Bill leaned his face into her shoulder as he took a deep breath. “I hate it when you’re right.” He muttered.   
  
She pulled his face away and lovingly brushed her lips against his. “And I love ya despite the fact you’re as stubborn as a stick-tailed mule.” She got up, pulling him to his feet. “Go talk to her ‘fore she leaves. I don’t want you two angry at each other, just in case.”   
  
He grimaced at her implication. “Ya wanna come referee?”   
  
“No. You two need to work this out alone.” She gave him a push towards the door. “Now scat, I got reports to do.”   
  
With a tip of his hat, Wild Bill Hardy went to find his daughter. 

* * * * * * * 

“You’re going out again aren’t you?” Beth said accusingly, standing in the doorway of their room, a sleepy Toby balanced on her hip.   
  
Clutch looked up from the bag he was packing with supplies and regarded his wife for a moment. “It’s just a normal patrol.” He resumed his packing.   
  
She entered the room and sat Toby on the bed, who started crawling towards his father. “There’s nothing normal about what’s been going lately.”   
  
“Beth,” he sighed as he closed his pack and put it on the floor by the doorway. He picked up Toby and gave the boy a quick kiss before setting him back down on the bed. “This patrol is no different than any other I’ve gone on in the last nine years.”   
  
“Yes it is.” She slowly lowered herself to the bed. “I can see it in your eyes Lance, and in everyone around here. I’m not blind or deaf. I know something’s coming and we’re going to be trapped in the middle of it.” She looked at Toby. “ _All_ of us.”   
  
“Nothing is going to happen to you or Toby.” Clutch chided as he came around the bed. Crouching in front of Beth, hands on her knees he added, “You’re safe here. And the girls are good fighters.”   
  
She smiled sadly and placed a hand on his cheek. “It’s not us I’m worried about.”   
  
“I’m coming back Beth. I promise.”   
  
She closed her eyes against the pain of memories. “That’s what he would say,” she whispered, “and he couldn’t keep that promise.” She opened her eyes and looked directly into his. “I can’t lose you again.”   
  
“You won’t.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “I gotta go.”   
  
She grabbed his arm as he stood. “Tell me the truth, Lance.”   
  
He caressed her cheek with his free hand. “I can’t.” He pulled his arm free and grabbed his pack. “I love you Beth. And that’s a promise I can keep.”   
  
She sat in silence as she watched him leave. The room suddenly darkened and she relived nightmare of a thousand days before as he went out on a ‘normal patrol’- and never came back. He had told her those same words.   
  
A tugging on her blouse brought her back to the present- she glanced down at her son and lovingly brushed his dark hair from his face. “He’s going to come back,” she whispered to herself. Toby whimpered and climbed into her lap. Rocking him gently, she repeated the words in rhythm to her rocking until it turned into a mantra.   
  
_He’s going to come back!_

* * * * * * * 

To the untrained eye, the scene Recondo walked into could only be described as controlled pandemonium. The medical cavern was bustling with people scrambling back and forth readying supplies for those going out. To the trained eye it was akin to a complex dance. He glanced about and spotted the chorographer, standing in the middle of the room. He slowly made his way through the crowd and smiled at the petite woman who led the crews around her.   
  
“Afternoon, Kay. You’re looking well.” He greeted her, his voice rising slightly to carry over the din.   
  
She snorted. “What I look like is a whale.” She smiled up at Recondo and lovingly patted her extended abdomen. “Only three more weeks.”   
  
The jungle trooper laughed. “Yeah, then it's eighteen years plus of worry and stress.” He scanned the room. “I was hoping to catch Max.”   
  
“He’s in the back with a patient.” She pointed to the curtained off part of the cavern. “One of the kids had a run in with the floor.” She turned her attention back to her aides. “Lee! That pack goes with Mercer’s team!” She sighed. “Well I better get back to work before they turn this into a mess.”   
  
“Thanks Kay.”   
  
“Hey Daniel?” When he looked back at her, she added, “Be careful out there.” He nodded with a smile as she began shouting orders again.   
  
He waded through people to the rear of the cavern and paused just outside the curtain. Behind it, he could hear voices and grinned when he recognized his daughter’s along with the calming voice of his daughter’s fiancé. A small child sniffled loudly in response. Max had come to join them not long after they had lost the caves. Ed had taken the young man under his wing when he had shown a knack for medicine and now was trusted with most of the younger patients.   
  
Recondo could still remember the day when Max had shown up at his quarters, intimidated and a nervous wreck as he asked for permission to marry Savannah. Daniel had to admit the two were perfect for each other. He blinked as suddenly the curtain was thrown aside and his daughter appeared in front of him, a four year old named Michael on her hip.   
  
“Dad?” She quirked a dark brown eye brow at him in question.   
  
“I was just checking on our medical supplies and Kay told me you were here.” He smiled at her. “I wanted to talk to you for a few minutes before we headed out.”   
  
“I have to get Michael back, but I can meet you in the mess in fifteen.”   
  
“I’ll be there. And grab your brother on the way.” She nodded and made her way through the masses. He turned his attention to his future son-in-law.   
  
“You really didn’t come to check on supplies did you?” Max said over his shoulder as was washing his hands.   
  
Recondo laughed, trust the kid to see right through him. “Lifeline’s taught you a few of his tricks. “   
  
“What’s up?” He leaned a hip against the counter.   
  
“I wanted to ask you to take care of Anna.”   
  
“You know I will.”   
  
Recondo shook his head. “No I mean if something happens…”   
  
“Daniel, I promise she’ll be fine no matter what.” He pushed off the counter and clasped the other man’s hand in his. “You just make sure to come back yourself.”   
  
“Thank you.” He slapped Max on the shoulder and with a final smile turned and left the chaos behind. 

* * * * * * * 

“One thousand, three hundred thirty-eight.”   
  
Shana looked up, startled at the sound of his voice. “What?”   
  
Blue eyes met blue “One thousand three hundred and thirty-eight died in the first three months of the fever.”   
  
“Conrad.” Shana got up from her chair and walked over to where her husband sagged against the craggy wall in their quarters. Wrapping arms around him, she led him to a chair. “Why do you keep doing this?” She whispered. For the past weeks his strength had waned and all he spoke of was the numbers of the dead. “All it’s doing is killing you.”   
  
“Someone has to remember them Shana,” he murmured. “What’s the use of fighting if we don’t remember the ones that didn’t make it?”   
  
She looked down at him as he continued. “Seven hundred and sixty-two died when we lost HQ. Eight hundred and twenty-nine at the caves. How many are going to die today? Tomorrow?” He took a ragged breath. “How many more are going to become nothing more than a number?”   
  
“I don’t know.” She glanced away, fighting to control the tears. “What I do know is that none of this was _your_ fault. No could have stopped it.”   
  
He pushed her away. “One thousand, three hundred thirty-eight. I should have seen the signs in Flint. I should have put the pieces together _before_ they took HQ. Seven hundred and sixty-two. Seven hundred and sixty-two! _Everything_ was there Shana.” He looked down at his hands. “It was all in front of us. How much did we miss because we didn’t want to see it?” He sank down into a chair placing his face in his hands. “I was supposed to lead them. Keep them alive. Eight hundred and twenty-nine at the caves. They trusted _me_!”   
  
Shana kneeled in front of him. “They still do, Duke.” She reached up to stroke his jaw, only to have him turn his head. “I still do.”   
  
He looked down, and she could see the familiar glaze forming over his blue eyes. “But I _don’t_ trust _me_.”   
  
“Conrad…”   
  
“One thousand three hundred thirty-eight,” he choked out the number again.   
  
“Conrad please don’t,” she begged as he slowly faded back into the world or morbid hopelessness and fear. With trembling hands, she helped him up and walked him back to bed where he would stay unbidden. Brushing his hair back and kissing him on the forehead, she sighed. “I love you.” She turned away and walking purposely across the room, picked up her loaded pack. With a last glance behind her, she left the man alone. 

* * * * * * * 

One foot, then the other. One foot, then the other. His exhausted body knew nothing else but putting one foot in front of the other to continue down the mud-incrusted path. He had barely kept the presence of mind to avoid patrols as he had made his way across the miles from where he had left the city. He buried Cathy on a hillside in a stand of birch trees, where the morning sun would warm and the wind would rustle the leaves. The gas had run out of the vehicle he had commandeered shortly after that. From there, he traversed the country, depending on the cells of friendlies from point to point. His only companion on the journey was the hate that boiled within him. Days later, here he was, pausing before a canyon. With slow deliberate movements, he removed his sidearm and placed it on the ground in front of him. “I’m unarmed!” He shouted, his voice echoing off the rock-lined walls. Behind his left shoulder he heard gravel crunching, and he remained stone still knowing that there would be others covering him from above.   
  
“You’re a long way from home,” a familiar voice spoke out from the direction he had heard the movement.   
  
“Chicago’s… Chicago’s red tagged.” Airtight turned.   
  
The figure stepped out from behind a boulder. “Damn.”   
  
“I need to see Mercer and the others, Mutt.”   
  
The other man nodded and jerked his head to someone out of sight. “Asia will take you in. Cathy?” Mutt fell silent at Kurt’s head shake. “Man, I’m sorry…”   
  
“Just get me in.” His voice was edged with tension. He nodded to Mutt as Asia appeared beside him. “Thanks.” He turned and retrieved his gun, following the girl. Behind them, the figures faded back into the shadows of the rocks. “You’re Flint’s kid ain’t ya?”   
  
She looked over at him bobbing her head slightly in affirmation.   
  
“What’s it like being the kid of a traitor?”   
  
The question completely caught her off guard. She froze, and found her weapon poised.   
  
He calmly glanced at the rifle pointed at his chest and then into her eyes. “Truth hurts, don’t it kid.”   
  
She nodded and motioned with her rifle for him to move ahead of her.   
  
“They said he did it to save you,” He sneered as he brushed past her. The hate showing clearly in his eyes. Hands on hips, he confronted her with “Were you worth it?”   
  
Asia was quick to squash the rage building in her. He was obviously out of his mind in shock and grief. However, to be safe, she made the decision to keep her rifle trained on him. She pointed to the path ahead, and her signal clear. Move or get shot. She waited as the man just stood.   
  
Kurt glanced up and down the kid in front of him before spinning on his heel and walking down the path. Behind him, Asia followed, her mind turning his words over again and again.   
  
_“Were you worth it?”_   
  
Her answer was as simple as it was silent.   
  
No. 

* * * * * * * 

He loved watching her sleep. In its peaceful embrace erased the weariness that lined often her face. Carefully he sat on the bed and laid his head on her extended abdomen and grinned as his child kicked his cheek.   
  
“Ed?”   
  
“Hey,” He flipped his head over so his other cheek now lay on her belly and he could see her face. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” He received another kick.   
  
“Kind of hard to sleep with you egging Junior on. I was just resting my eyes anyway.” She smiled as Ed was kicked again and sighed. “Mr. Tough guy.” She laughed, but stopped as her eyes caught sight of his pack by the bed. “It’s time isn’t it?”   
  
He raised his head up and met her eyes with his. “They need me.”   
  
“Shhh…” She placed a finger on his lips. “I know that, and I’ve never argued that point with you.” She caressed his cheek. “But you better damn well come back Eddy 'cause I am not changing diapers all by myself.”   
  
He chuckled lightly. “I love you, Witch.” He kissed her, one last passionate time before standing and hefting his bag. “Don’t do anything without me.”   
  
“I won’t, but someone may have other ideas.” She laid a hand on her belly. “Go on, before I burst into emotional pregnant lady tears.” She smiled sadly and shoved him towards the door. She held on to her smile as he brushed past the curtain with a final glance back at her. Once it fell back into place and she was alone she looked down at her precious burden and whispered: “He’ll be back. I know he will.” 

* * * * * * * 

“No, absolutely not!” Rissa’s voice was bordering on shouting, harsh enough to cause others to shy away from her and Mac in the corridor.   
  
“I ain’t staying behind again.”   
  
Rissa cursed silently in three languages at the stubborn streak that she loved and hated about this man. “Mac, for once, _will you listen to me_?” She stopped abruptly, turned and faced him. He halted just before running into her. “You are not in any shape to be out and in the conditions that we’re expecting. If I have to I will tie you to a bloody chair!”   
  
“Bullshit!” He growled in a whisper. “I ain’t no boy scout that’s never been in a battle before!”   
  
Rissa took a deep breath, and counted to ten in French and English. “Cooper, I am not denying that you’ve improved greatly, more than anyone ever hoped for…”   
  
“But I’m still a cripple right?” He spat the word ‘cripple’.   
  
“No, not to me, never to me.” She touched his face. “You are a man with more honor, and bravery, than most people I know. That’s what I love about you Mac. But this is not your mission. It’s mine.” She smiled and brought his hand up to her cheek so that he could feel it. “Your mission is to stay here and take care of them… protect them”   
  
“Them?” He skimmed his fingers across her face, taking in the texture and warmth.   
  
Rissa sighed. “Yes, all of them. The ones that we are sworn to protect.” She kissed his hand. “We’re leaving them in your hands.”   
  
“You know what you’re asking?” He faltered for a moment, the implications sinking in, before shaking himself out of it. “I can do it.”   
  
“I know you can, love.” She pulled him close, brushing her lips against his. “And I can take care of myself. Remember that.”   
  
“It’s not just you now.”   
  
“I have to go.” She whispered as they parted. “Remember.” She kissed him again and Mac was alone in the dark. 

* * * * * * * 

Her eyes focused on the unopened box sitting innocently on the corner of her desk. MacKay had brought it to her, and without words simply set it in the spot it now resided. She knew what it contained. She knew what Destro expected her to do. After much contemplation of the box, she had decided that she would play his game to a point. Then she would change the rules.   
  
With a feeling of resolve in her, she picked up the box and it open. The pistol contained within was an ornate flintlock from the 1600’s with silver inlay in the handle. She grudgingly had to admire Destro’s flair for the dramatic. The fact that it was only one shot meant that he gave her no room to err. Sitting back in her seat, she turned the pistol over in her hands, mulling her plan over again. _Oh, Destro will get his proof of loyalty._ She smiled to herself. _Oh yes, he was in for quite a surprise._

* * * * * * * 

“I can’t believe it,” Scarlett sat in shock as she heard Kurt tell them of what happened to Chicago. “What purpose does killing another city do?”   
  
“What does it matter?” Kurt erupted in rage. “It’s done and thousands of people are dead, including Cathy!” He slammed a fist onto the table sending several cups tumbling. “Are you just going to sit here and let him get away with it?!”   
  
Mercer put a restraining hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “Easy, Airtight. None of us are going to sit here idly,” he glanced around the table, receiving nods from the leaders in the emergency meeting. “But we will not walk into this with our anger out of control either.” He looked down at Kurt who visibly tightened control of his anger. “Now, tell us exactly what happened. What kind of agent do you think was used in your professional opinion?” He returned to his seat and motioned Kurt to begin.   
  
Outside, the voices of the inner chamber were no more than a murmur to those who wandered the halls, even at shouting levels. Asia leaned with her back against the cold stone as she tried to listen, still turning the accusation in her mind. She had come to terms with what her father had done, or so she had thought. One man who had never known her before that moment in the valley, he held so much contempt and hate for her by her association to her father. She began to wonder if there were others that felt the same.   
  
“Asia?”   
  
Shane’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she glanced at him. He was upset, she could tell by the set of his jaw. _“If you came to say more_ _about the mission orders, just stop,”_ she signed as she pushed off the wall and headed in the direction of their quarters.   
  
Shane quickly matched strides with her. “I wasn’t going to bring it up, but since--” He stopped when he caught the flash in her brown eyes. “What happened?”   
  
_“Nothing.”_ She flicked the curtain aside and threw her day pack on the floor.   
  
He followed her in, and leaned against the wall to watch her. “Bullshit, something’s bugging you.” She started pulling her shirt over her head and Shane pushed himself away from the wall. He helped remove the shirt the remainder of the way, leaving her in her tank top. “I know you too well, Asia.”   
  
She sighed, and sank onto the bed. _“I wasn’t worth it Shane.”_   
  
“What are you talking about?” He sat on the bed beside her. “You aren’t worth what?”   
  
_“What he did…”_ She paused as if undecided. _“Why did he Shane? Why did he betray everything to save me?”_   
  
Shane knew exactly what she was talking about, even with the mention of her father. “I don’t know.” He brushed a hand through her hair. “I don’t think anyone does.” He ran his hand down her cheek and tilted her eyes up to his before lightly brushing a kiss across her lips. “But I thank God you’re here.”   
  
She jerked away. _“No Shane. I should have died, not them. It was wrong. He was a traitor and I’m the reason why he did it. And I have to make it right.”_   
  
“No,” Shane’s blue eyes narrowed. “Don’t even think about it. You’re not assigned to that mission parameter and you’re not going anywhere near where he is.”   
  
_“Are you going to stop me?”_   
  
“Damn it!” He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her to get his point across. “I can’t loose you. Promise me Asia, you won’t go into the city.” She looked away, and he pulled her eyes back to his face with his hand on her chin. “Promise me.”   
  
She gazed up into his intense blue eyes, caressing his cheek before removing his hands from her body and standing. _“I won’t promise that Shane. Because it’s not a promise I can keep.”_   
  
“Asia, don’t…” He called as she brushed past the curtain. “Asia? Asia!” He tore through the curtain to find the corridor empty. In his chest his heart tightened as he felt the panic of losing her rush through his mind.   
  
“Shane!” Dusty’s voice carried down the long corridor. “We’re moving out!”   
  
He swore and ducked back inside their room long enough to snatch up his rifle and gear. With a final glance down the dark corridor he knew Asia was hiding in, he jogged in the opposite direction to leave the caverns behind.   
  
After a few minutes, she reentered her room and walked over to an old dusty trunk that sat in the back. Opening it, she dug to the bottom and pulled out a sidearm in a shoulder holster that had been carefully wrapped in faded fabric. A box of ammunition came out next. With the ease of long practice she pulled out the pistol, loaded it and slid it back into the shoulder holster. She donned the holster, needing to tighten it on her small frame. Reaching back in, she withdrew a blood-covered beret. _This is for you, Daddy._ She closed the lid and returned to the bed, dressing in a baggy shirt and coat to hide the firearm. With the anonymity that had served her well throughout her life, she went back into the caverns and disappeared. 

* * * * * * * 

Courtney stood in the fading light of the day, watching as the groups moved out into what might be their final assault. Her husband and sons looked back and waved in a casual manner, as if they were just going out for a patrol. She knew however, that the likelihood of all three of them coming back was greatly diminished for this mission.   
  
Beside her, Jessica waved back frantically at her daddy and brothers, jumping up and down as four year-olds are wont to do. The sight of all the people had caused a lot of excitement for the girl, and many of the personnel moving out had received sloppy kisses of goodbye.   
  
Courtney bit her lip as she watched her eternal child carry on until they were out of site and all that betrayed them was a dust cloud. She stood there, not noticing the passage of time. It wasn’t until she felt Jessica’s tugging on her coat and demands of food did she see that the sun had gone completely down and it was growing chilly. Taking Jessica by the hand, Cover-Girl led her daughter back into the safety of the hills.   
  
Once she had gotten Jessica fed and they were back in their quarters, the girl entertained herself with toys as Courtney replayed the intense goodbye that she and Dusty had shared hours earlier. William and Ezra had been there for only moments before they were called off to their assignments.   
  
Courtney sighed. It was going to be a long, long wait. 

* * * * * * * 

Steeler hated crowds. They were unpredictable at best, and deadly at worst. And now he and his kids were surrounded by a mob that was growing by the second. His eyes darted around, spotting his kids in the positions they were supposed to be in. At the last second, he grabbed a hold of Kat’s arm and pulled her out of the path of a group of Cobra regulars as they plowed through the masses.   
  
“Thanks.” Kat nearly hugged him as more troopers followed the first group. “This is nuts. There’s too many regulars around here.”   
  
Steeler nodded absently as he scanned the crowd. “And more of our people than we were told.” He nodded towards some familiar-looking figures. “I hate not knowing.”   
  
“Tell me about it Gramps. You’ve been a grump since we got our orders.” She moved them further into the crowd.   
  
“I ain’t grumpy. I just hate crowds.” He fought down the urge to draw his hidden sidearm and fire it into the air to clear his way through. “Too many things can go wrong and we don’t have a clear way outta here.”   
  
“I know, and I feel the same way.” She glanced over her shoulder at the troopers. “But we’re here now so let’s do our job.”   
  
He nodded. “Let’s get in position,” he said, moving deeper into the crowd. 

* * * * * * * 

Shane took a deep breath and settled in. Resting the stock of his rifle further up his shoulder he waited patiently among the shadows of the rooftops. He glimpsed to his left and nodded to Kiara who was in a similar posture not far from him. He knew there were others scattered among the rooftops but he was not privy to their exact locations. He scanned the crowd below and on occasion spotted a people he knew in the masses. He turned his attention back to the main balcony at the palace and felt his muscles tense as one by one the high Cobra command stepped out into the open.   
  
_This is it. Wait for the signal Shane_ , he told himself as he settled down to do what he did best.   
  
He waited… 

* * * * * * * 

“Desssstro, Baronessssss, come! It is time we addressed the masses.” Cobra Commander was dressed in full regalia and his cape billowed as he turned on his heel. Motioning for the guards to open the large doors that led out to the balcony, he stepped forward and out into the sunlight.   
  
Alexia began to follow only to have Destro’s hand clamp down on her arm and hold her back. “Remember my dear.” He whispered into her ear. “You are loyal to me.”   
  
She simply yanked her arm loose and followed the Commander out to the balcony. The cheers of “Hail Cobra Commander!” that greeted them sounded forced and she knew that there would be reprisals for those who did not show ‘proper’ respect for the Commander. She crossed her arms on her chest, maintaining the aura or aristocracy. The ornate pistol, which she had explained to Cobra Commander as a gift from an admiring minion, was tucked securely in the blood-red sash adorning her waist. A simple tug, a single shot and it would be over. The terror that she had helped to create would end, and all she had to do was pull the trigger. She listened as the Commander began his speech, half hearing the words he spoke as a single thought looped in her mind. She glanced at the masked man through the corner of her eye, a smug smirk on his face-- she knew what he expected. She knew what he wanted. She kept her face impassive as she smiled to herself at his arrogance. He was always so sure that things would work his way, but she was about to prove him wrong. She took a step forward, tugged, and spun. 

* * * * * * * 

“What the hell?” Steeler squinted to see the commotion on the balcony, shading his eyes with his hand. All he could make out was a jumble of guards and then suddenly the crowd seemed to sense something happening and whether good or ill, began to panic. “Kat!” He grabbed the girl around the waist, hauling her out of harm’s way as people stampeded away from the building as the guards began to fire into the immediate crowd under the balcony. “We need to get up front!” He shouted, carrying Kat along aside him as he forced his way against the current. On either side of him he could see others doing the same. He stopped once he was near enough to make out the situation and beside him he felt Kat tense. “What the fu--?” He looked up just in time to see the whole scene to go hell. 

* * * * * * * 

The gun drew to its target as time slowed to an agonizing crawl. One moment she was standing behind Cobra Commander, the next moment the pistol was in her hand and she was facing Destro. She felt the tendons tense as she pulled the trigger. She never heard the bullet exit the chamber or felt the kick back as the gun expended its energy, the smell of powder. All she was focused on was the face of the man that had turned the world into a living hell. Strangely, he did not look afraid, but stood proudly with a triumphant expression on his metal face.   
  
She blinked. Suddenly she felt the hot pain of something ripping through her chest. She looked down, dumbfounded to see blood spreading across the front of her gown. She collapsed to her knees, her eyes returning to the gleaming face. Cobra Commander had ducked behind the balcony railing, thinking that the attack was coming from the outside, not within. His eyes widened beneath his mask as he took in the scene playing out before him. Slowly the world around her closed in and the noise of those around her dimmed. She had failed. She looked up and saw Destro kneeling beside her.   
  
“You’re a fool, my dear Alexia.” He dipped his fingers in the blood pooling around her. “And it’s a pity that you chose to defy me. We could have made such an Emperor and Empress” He wiped his hands on her face.   
  
“You’ll… never win,” she spat.   
  
He laughed deeply. “Ah, but my dear Alexia I already have.” He pulled the gun from her grip. “I guess I forgot to load the shot. Pity. I’ll be sure to tell your daughter you said hello.” He stood.   
  
She reached out and weakly gripped at his ankle in a vain attempt to stop him. He simply glanced down and kicked her hand away. “MacKay, please see that our Commander is taken care of.” His eyes narrowed as he looked down one last time before disappearing into the building. “Good-bye, Baroness.” 

* * * * * * * 

“No! No… no!” Kat struggled against the iron grip Steeler had on her. “Let me go you bastard!”   
  
“Stop it Kat! You want to get yourself killed?!” He held tight, against the kicking young woman. “It’s too late for her! I’m sorry.” She gave up her struggle and went limp with sobs. Steeler puller her around and into a tight embrace, trying to lend a shred of comfort to her when a voice came over his earpiece


	12. Between the Darkness

_For whom do the bells toll  
When sentenced to die  
The stuttering rifles  
Will stifle the cry  
  
The monstrous anger  
The fear's rapid rattle  
A desert inferno  
Kids dying like cattle  
  
No mock'ries for them  
No prayers or bells  
The demented choirs  
The wailing of shells  
  
The boys holding candles  
On untraveled roads  
The fear spreads like fire  
As shrapnel explodes  
  
What sign posts will lead  
To Armageddon’s fires  
What bugles will call them  
From crowded grey shires  
  
The women sit quiet  
With death on their minds  
A slow dusk descending  
The drawing of blinds…  
From Anthem For Doomed Youth By: Lombardo / Owen_   
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
They gathered together, each individual taking strength from the others around them as they waited for word news- any news- from the front lines. They were not strangers to this ritual of worry, they had been practicing it for much longer than any of them wished to acknowledge. Once again they found themselves waiting, along with praying and hoping, that perhaps, maybe, this time it would be the final time.  
  
Ann-Marie’s attention was focused fully on her screen as she digested the information that came through her link with Blaine and his team. On the outside, she looked to be the calm and composed person she was known as. However, deep inside she was gut-wrenching terrified. She always nervous every time he took a field assignment, but this time it was different… his chances of not coming back were exponentially higher. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was the connection between the ones left behind in the relative safety of the base and those out on the front lines. She knew her job and she was not going to let anything stop her.  
  
“Anything yet?” Sarah asked as she came up behind Ann and set a fresh cup of coffee down by Ann-Marie’s mouse hand. The woman’s answer was a silent shake of her head as she continued to stare at her screen. Sarah glanced over her shoulder. “Damn, I hate the waiting.”  
  
“It won’t be long once it starts Sarah,” Mac said from his spot against the wall. “It never is.”  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
“Showtime.”  
  
The word resounded in his earpiece as Shane instantly began scanning the crowd and taking out the Cobra regulars that had not removed their face masks at the start of the chaos. Beside him he heard the report of Jason, Cammy, and Kiara’s rifles as they also took out targets. He sighted though his scope to the balcony in time to see Destro’s guard seize Cobra Commander and drag him into the building. “Well how’s that for loyalty?” He muttered to himself as he swept his sight up and took aim at a Cobra sniper on the roof of the palace. The sniper jerked and fell back below the low wall lining the rooftop.  
  
“Eagles, this is Ground Hog, teams are moving in now… watch where you shoot!” Steeler broadcasted to the snipers who continued to fire from multiple points.  
  
With a smug smile, Shane took out another trooper. “You worry too much Ground Hog,” he retorted. The response from Steeler was a snort. “That’s what I thought.” He continued his assault from above.  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
“You dare, Desstro?!!” The Commander struggled in the grasp of the two Crimson Guards that restrained him. “I am the Supreme Cobra Commander!”  
  
“You,” Destro’s mask flashed in the dim lighting of the hall, “are a bore that I grow tired of.” He paused an instant to let the Commander seethe a moment before continuing. “And an unnecessary accomplice in the ruling of the Empire.”  
  
The Commander hissed, sending the fabric of his mask fluttering slightly from his face. His eyes bulged malice as he stared at Destro. “My armies will destroy you.” He warned with deadly quiet.  
  
The laughter rang through the corridor. “ _Your_ armies,? You are a fool. They have not been _your_ armies for a long time now. You, dear Commander, have lost, and you don’t even have the sanity to realize it.” He stepped close to the defeated man and whispered, “The armies are mine now. The Empire is mine now. ” He waved the guards away. “Take our beloved Ex-Commander somewhere he can’t cause trouble.”  
  
“You will pay Destro!” The Commander screamed as he was dragged by his arms by the two guards leaving twin trails in the carpet pile from his boot heels. “I swear if it’s my dying breath you will pay!”  
  
“I can arrange your dying breath,” Destro muttered to himself as he turned his attention to his assistant that waited behind him.  
  
“My lord.” MacKay bowed as he awaited his master’s permission to go on. Destro absently waved a hand and he continued. “My lord, there is resistance from the crowd outside. Known insurgents have been identified along with Joes.”  
  
The man in the mask smiled. “Excellent.”  
  
“My lord?”  
  
“It is time to end this MacKay. Come.” He spun on his heel and headed into the shadows of the hall.  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
Steeler instinctively ducked away as a bullet flew past his ear. “Move! Move! Move!” He shouted to his team over the comlink. Around him, he could see his kids as they struggled to advance against the crowd of panicking civilians who wanted nothing more than to go the opposite direction than them to escape the gunfire raining down from above. “Damn it!” He cursed as he realized Kat was no longer beside him, or anywhere with in his visual range for that matter. “Kat?” He called over his comm, “Katerina!!”  
  
Only silence answered him.  
  
And the team advanced.  
  
She had glanced over her shoulder once before ripping her earpiece out and disappearing into the mass of bodies. She knew he would stop her if she had tried to leave with his knowing. So she opted for simply being caught in the flow of the crowd until she was far enough away, the turned herself towards the edge of the mob. Reaching the building was simple enough once she had reached the outer fringe and avoiding the troopers was even easier, since many were busy saving their own skins to pay attention to a single, raggedy girl. Once inside the door she avoided the remaining guards with little trouble and made her way to the second level.  
  
Slipping in the partially closed doors, she was shocked to find the room leading to the balcony deserted. Occasionally the sound of boots running past in the hallway caught her attention, but no one entered the room. Paying no heed to the danger outside, she dropped to her knees beside the limp form lying forgotten on the cold concrete. “Mama,” she whispered, pulling her mother’s head into her lap. She brushed the hair from Alexia’s face, ignoring the blood soaking through the knees of her pants. “I’m sorry.” She dropped her head to her mothers and let the tears flow freely.  
  
“Well, well, well… what we got ‘ere?” She stiffened at the sound of a voice behind her. “A little Joe wannabe wandered far from home.” Footsteps walked around her and stopped.  
  
She raised her head slowly, eyes narrowed as she focused first on the boots, then the face of the man now in front of her. “Zartan.” She spat the name out.  
  
He smiled, and gave a small bow, not letting the pistol aimed at her waiver. “At your service-” he took a step forward- “Katerina Navarre… or should I say… Pulaski?”  
  
In the turmoil of the battle coupled with the grief overwhelming her, she didn’t catch the implication. Kat shook her head. “Pulaski- that’s Steeler’s name… not mine.”  
  
“Ah, she never did tell you, did she? Or he, for that matter.” Zartan waved a hand out towards the open square of people. “The ghost of your daddy is out there, hopefully getting shot down by now. Bad enough when you think you’ve killed them and then another one shows up…”  
  
“Shut up!” Kat’s mind was reeling… Steeler was her father… or not her father? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breathe through the confusion and fear that was taking hold of her mind. She could not lose her head if she wanted to stay alive. She opened her eyes and forced herself to think. By her knee, just under her mother was the handle of a gun. She just had to get it out so she could get the drop on Zartan…  
  
“Well now, that complicates the relationship just a bit, don’t you think?” he taunted.  
  
She sagged forward over her mother in a feint to cover the motion of reaching under her mother’s body. Regaining her wits, she replied, “So you know who I am more than I do. Is that supposed to scare me?” Her hand wrapped around the gun and slowly drew it out. She raised her head to get a visual on him to aim.  
  
Zartan laughed. “Just like your mother, too stupid to know when you’re in too deep.” He waved his gun in a questioning manner. “So would you like it quick or slow?”  
  
Kat smiled sweetly. “Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing.” She jerked the pistol loose and fired. Zartan’s mouth dropped open and he toppled over backwards with a perfectly aimed shot between his eyes. Kat glanced at the ornate pistol she held, realizing that the hammer had already been cocked, otherwise it never would have fired- a last gift from her mother. “I guess he got it quick,” she whispered.  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
Blaine ducked further behind his team’s limited cover on the low rooftop as he heard the thumping of boots running upon pavement and the shouts of Cobra troopers below. Beside him, Ben and Seth franticly fought to keep the fragile connection between them and Ann-Marie as he transferred information as fast as he received it.  
  
“Posse and Pitcrew teams are holding at the prison perimeter and awaiting orders,” Seth relayed. “Ground Hog’s team advancing as planned. Mongoose team is coming up on the rear of the stronghold. Lifeline reports medical teams in position.”  
  
Blaine nodded as he again cringed at the sounds beneath them. “We might have to move if they keep stomping through here.” He reached over and pulled his rifle closer.  
  
“If we move,” Ben warned, “we might loose the link completely.”  
  
“I know Ben, but it’s easier to re-establish a link than it is to explain to Steeler or my wife why we got killed.”  
  
“Good point.”  
  
Blaine smiled tightly. “Right now we’re still okay as long as they don’t get curious about in the pile of boxes piled up around us and keep it down.” He caught each boy’s eye with his own. “But if I say move…”  
  
“We move.” Seth answered. “We know the drill.”  
  
“I don’t doubt it.” He bent back over his keyboard and got back to work. “Haven, this is Ping-Pong. Showtime. I repeat- Showtime.” Blaine spoke as he clicked on his comm back to those waiting at base. “Haven, how do you copy?”  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
“Loud and clear Ping-Pong.” She turned to Savannah who waited by the entrance to the communications room. “It’s started.”  
  
Silence answered Ann-Marie as Savannah nodded. She walked the short distance to the cavern where most of the remaining people had gathered. Some slowly paced back and forth like a caged animals, some sat still holding children close, while others moved amongst them offering comfort where they could. When Savannah announced the news, they simply accepted the fact that the battle had come and all they could do was wait. She looked over the crowd and saw Kay with Beth in a corner, and started that way.  
  
“Beth,” Kay urged, “you need to try and eat something.”  
  
“I’m fine,” she replied absently, continuing to rock Toby back and forth.  
  
“At least drink some water.” Kay set a small glass down before moving on to the next person.  
  
“Kay, I’ll take over,” Savannah said as she came up and took the canteen from her. “You look about ready to fall over.”  
  
Kay sighed as she glanced around. “If I keep moving I don’t think about it. What are we going to do if…”  
  
“No. We’re not going to go that road.” Savannah smiled. “At least that’s what my Dad always says when I asked that question. Now shoo.” She turned the other woman and gently pushed her towards an empty spot. “Before I tie you down.”  
  
Kay nodded and wandered towards Ann-Marie’s post.  
  
With a deep breath and a steel will, Ann-Marie focused her mind onto the tasks ahead as she relayed reports coming in from the front. The crushing fear of the tightly enclosed space pressed in as she listened to the comm. “Posse and Pitcrew have started to move in on the prison.” Her voice started to shake. “Meeting with little to no resistance. Mongoose reports the same”  
  
“Expected,” Mac muttered from his spot against the wall. “Most of the troopers left there are the lowest even by Cobra standards. Now we’ll see if Kurt keeps it together.” He pushed himself off the wall and moved forward until he found Ann-Marie’s chair. He placed his hands on her shoulders to lend strength for his next question. “Any news on casualties?”  
  
She shook her head negative and fought to slow her breathing as the fear swelled. “Just prelim reports right now.”  
  
Blaine’s voice crackled over her headset. “Ground forces are holding their own right now.” He paused, waiting for acknowledgement. “Ann-Marie?” He heard her gasping for air over the comm. “Babe! Focus.”  
  
She jumped slightly when Mac’s hands squeezed her shoulders. “You’re not alone Ann,” Mac’s soothing tone cut like a knife through her fear and brought her back to ground.  
  
“I… I’m here Blaine, Sorry.” She took a deep breath and placed a hand atop Mac’s. “I could use some help tracking comm traffic.” She placed his hand on the chair beside her own, and he maneuvered into it. “Report received Ping-Pong,” she replied, her voice steadying as her mind refocused on her job. Beside her Mac found a headset on the desk and put it on. She felt him squeeze her hand, and she returned the message of thanks. Together they turned back to the job before them.  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
“Well, they never did increase security did they?” Bill commented as he did a rough count of the guards. “Hell, it’s even less than when they originally placed the prison here.”  
  
Beside him Shana snorted. “What’s to guard? The Commander and Destro tend to handle any real problems with a permanent result.” She lowered her binoculars. “Why put someone in a cell they can escape from when slitting their throat is so much easier.”  
  
Bill flinched slightly. “Not wha’ I wanted to think about darlin’-” He cocked his head as his comm came to life. “-there’s the signal.”  
  
“Ya ready Cowboy?”  
  
Bill simply smiled. “Darlin’, I’m from Texas and there’s nothing we like better than a good, old-fashioned jail break.”  
  
Shana smiled slightly and blessed Bill and his sense of humor. “Well then let’s not keep your old bones waitin’.” Her answer was a soft snort.  
  
Slowly the small team crawled towards the mass of buildings and one by one dashed across the open field between trees and shadow to the back gates. Bill cast a glance up and caught sight of the guard in the tower. With a simple gesture Bill was informed that the guard line was clear. He caught Shana’s eye and nodded as he singled the rest of the team across.  
  
“The ‘scripts did their job,” Shana whispered once Bill had made his way to her side. “According to the intelligence we got there’s two officers held up inside that are still loyal. The rest have been taken care of by our friends.”  
  
“Time for Snake-Eyes to do his thing then.” He sent the signal to the commando and then ordered the remainder of the team to dig in and wait. “How long do ya…” His question trailed off at the sound of the lock bar being released.  
  
“About that long.” Shana replied with a grin as she slid in the opened gate.  
  
 _“You will not like what I found.”_ The silent figure signed to his teammates.  
  
“Bill, have Clutch get his team to secure the area then meet us here with Audra.”  
  
 _“We will not need Audra’s medical skill here”._  
  
“What about the prisoners?” Bill asked. The silent man simply shook his head in answer. ”You’re sure?”  
  
“Red,” Clutch’s tired voice preceded the man into the building. “I got the team setting up a watch and the ‘scripts chowing the first real meal they’ve had in a while.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “We found a mass grave out back. Looks like a day, maybe two days old from the bodies, least that’s what Audra said. And signs of older ones as well.”  
  
Shana just nodded at Clutch’s report. Slowly she spoke, reminding not only everyone gathered around her, but herself as well. “Alright. We were expecting something like this.” She absently placed an arm around her daughter’s shoulders as the young woman moved beside her. “We’ve got the ‘scripts to take care of and let’s see what we can find out about who was here.”  
  
With silent agreement the Joes slowly separated off to individual tasks, and with a deep, tired sigh Shana turned and entered what had become nothing more than a tomb.  
  


* * * * * * * *

  
  
Safety was an illusion that Lifeline no longer allowed himself to dwell in. His team was in theory, behind the battle lines, but he knew from more than enough past experience that battle lines shifted with little or no warning. Consequentially, those that are supposed to be secure soon found themselves trapped. And in this war it was a known fact that the enemy had no qualms about killing the innocent or wounded.  
  
He glanced around at his team and found himself longing for Kay’s presence next to him. Instead, he had a team of inexperienced people borrowed from various groups that he had never even worked with before. Coupled with the fact that they had learned nearly everything from hands on experience, deep inside he knew today would prove beyond their abilities. He had no doubts he could count on them to a point, but then what? He nodded to one of the kids Steeler had loaned him.  
  
“We’re all set up,” Sissy reported, remembering to come up on his left side so he would be able to hear her.  
  
“Remember what I told you.” He again attempted to drive home his point that was nagging at him like a bad tooth. “We’re limited on supplies…”  
  
Sissy’s gray eyes flashed, then rolled. “Ya don’t need to lecture me again on triage or who to treat and who not to. I’ve been doing this a hell of a lot longer than ya think.”  
  
Ed sighed. “I didn’t mean to insult your abilities.”  
  
“Then don’t,” Sissy snapped. “Look, trust me when I say that I know what I’m doing and that I won’t let ya down!” She spun on her heel and marched off to finish preparations.  
  
Lifeline watched her go and wondered what he had gotten himself into.  
  
“You there Lifeline?” Ann-Marie’s voice softly whispered through his left earpiece.  
  
“Yeah I copy. We’re open for business and hoping that we don’t have any customers.” He winced at the sound of gunfire in the distance.  
  
“We can only hope Lifeline. By the way, Kay wants you to swing by the store and get some pickles and ice cream.”  
  
“Copy that,” he smiled slightly and felt a bit of tension leave his mind. Behind him he heard his team call to him. “It’s official Ann, we got our first customer coming in. I’ll keep you informed.” He turned his focus to the wounded beginning to filter in, and the work to save those he could.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
Mercer and Airtight made their way cautiously down a half lit corridor in the bowels of the building. As part of the Mongoose team, their objective was to locate and apprehend the top brass of Cobra for trial. Mercer was irritable and unsettled because they had not met much resistance in the two floors they had searched so far, and none of the limited radio traffic from their other team members had yielded any positive results either. In fact, the one major call had been team three losing a member when they had foolishly burst into a room against the advice of the Joe in charge. This just added to the soldier’s ire that even though he had held steadfast that Mongoose team should only be experience Joes, they had people with limited knowledge of how to stay alive in an operation.  
  
The group was stopped at an intersection of another hallway. Flattened against the wall, Mercer cautiously glanced around the corner, and then listened hard. In the distance, maybe a few floors above them, he could hear the sounds of a firefight. He looked over his shoulder at Airtight, whose face remained a passive mask as he listened to the comm traffic.  
  
“Team five just encountered heavy resistance and spotted Destro. They are requesting backup,” Airtight reported.  
  
“Team two should be near their position,” Mercer responded, checking the other way. “Looks clear to me. One at a time. I’ll take the rear point. Clear? You first Airtight.” He swung his gun up into position to cover the left hallway, while another member covered the opposite direction.  
  
Kurt moved up to the junction of the corridors and started across. He had not taken two steps out when a bullet zipped past him and buried itself with a cloud of plaster dust in the wall. Training kicked in and he leapt for the cover of the walls across from his team, hitting the floor hard. It took a few seconds for him to get back the wind that was knocked out back as he heard Mercer and the other team members return fire behind him. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking down the hallway, and watched two Crimson Guardsmen dragging a struggling Cobra Commander cross his vision at the end of the corridor.  
  
A hail of gunfire coming from a doorway about two thirds up the hall answered them, effectively pinning the remaining team members. Mercer pulled back to reload and glanced at Airtight only to see him running down the passage.  
  
“Kurt!” he shouted. He jumped up to try and cross the juncture, but was once again repelled by gunfire. He swore and watched him disappear around a corner.  
  
“You will pay dearly for these acts against me!” Cobra Commander threatened again as the troopers continued to drag him deeper into the building. Abruptly, they stopped. He struggled against the iron grip of the two guards in a desperate attempt to break free. “I am your Commander! I demand that you release me!”  
  
“Sir, you can stop now,” one of the Guards said, helping the Commander to his feet and letting go of his arm. The other Crimson Guard did the same.  
  
Cobra Commander straightened his tunic and nodded to the men. “You did your partssss very well. You ssshall be rewarded.”  
  
“Thank you sir!” they replied in unison, snapping off salutes.  
  
“Now let us get out of here and make that traitor Dessstro pay! You, in front and you to the back.”  
  
“Not so fast fellas.” Airtight stood nonchalantly against the wall his gun pointed absently at the troopers. Nobody’s going anywhere.”  
  
Automatically two rifles began to swing up. Airtight dropped to his knee and shot one of the guards before he could even come to bear on him. The other got one shot off that buried itself into the wall behind Airtight’s ear. He quickly followed his counterpart to the floor.  
  
Cobra Commander stood between the two bodies, his triumph turned to disbelief. In a desperate measure, he made a grab for a gun from the nearest dead guard’s holster on his hip, but found himself instead shoved roughly up against the wall, a gun jammed up under his jaw.  
  
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you nice and slow? Torturous like you did to my wife with your chemicals?” Airtight growled.  
  
“Because you’re weak.” Cobra Commander sneered under his mask, contempt dripping in his tone. “Weak like all the others. Joesss so over rate life… even the weak that shouldn’t live. Only the strong have the right to survive.”  
  
“Shut up!”  
  
“And your weaknesses are so easy to use against you. Any man who is fool enough to cherish another above himself is….”  
  
“I said shut-up!”  
  
The Commander cackled maliciously. “Yesss…it is so easy to control one’s enemies when you hold the lives of those they love in your very fist.”  
  
Airtight clutched the weapon tighter. He’s mind spun at the Commander’s words as he again lived through leaving his beloved Kathy to die. “You think that makes a man weak?” He stepped back, aiming the rifle directly at the Commander chest, its muzzle mere inches from the man. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”  
  
“Airtight no! Take him alive!” Mercer shouted as he ran towards them. “That’s an order!”  
  
Time slowed as Kurt’s finger compressed the trigger and the bullet flew from metal to flesh. He watched as the man that had held the world in terror hands went up in surrender as the bullet pierced cloth, flesh, and bone. The rifle fell away to point at the floor as the Commander slowly collapsed to the ground leaving a bloody smear on the wall behind him, with a hole where the bullet had lodged. With a finial gurgle of air, Cobra’s once supreme leader slumped to the side and died.  
  
He threw himself back from the body, stumbling over the arm of a Crimson Guard. “What have I done? He was defenseless.” He whispered to himself as he glanced down at the rifle clutched in his shaking hands and then back to the body. “I murdered him.”  
  
“Kurt?”  
  
He glanced up at the man that had somehow appeared in front of him. “He’s dead. You said to take him alive.” He tossed away his rifle.  
  
“I know.” Mercer glanced over his shoulder at the body. “Better dead I say, bastard got what he deserved, even though we were told to bring him in.” He looked back at Airtight. “You okay?”  
  
“I killed him in cold blood. I’m no better than what he was now. A murderer!”  
  
Mercer stood and shouldered his rifle. “You’re no more a murder than any of us. This is a damn war or have you forgotten that?” He pointed at the Commander. “He killed more people than any of us. Far as I’m concerned you’re a damn hero.” He offered Kurt a hand up. “Come on, let’s go get you checked over.”  
  
“No.” He shoved the hand away and rose to his feet.  
  
“Airtight, don’t dwell on it.” Mercer saw the man starting to crack. “We need to get you out of here, get you back to base…”  
  
“She begged me to leave her behind.” He looked up at Mercer his face a mask of stone. “She trusted me to do what was right.” He slowly drew his sidearm from its holster. “I failed her. I failed everyone.”  
  
“Kurt don’t…”  
  
“Tell them I’m sorry.” He raised his gun to his head.  
  
“NO!” Mercer lunged for Airtight but was too slow.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
_Aim…breath in…. hold…fire…_ It was a pattern Shane easily fell into without thought. A pattern as natural as drawing breath into his lungs. Around him he could hear the report of the other snipers, Cammy and Kiara near his own position. He took aim again.  
  
 _Aim…breath in…. hold…_ He froze as a familiar figure crossed his sights. “She wouldn’t.” He adjusted his sights and searched the crowd for the figure. “Please don’t let it be her. Please.” He felt his heart leap into his throat as he again brought the figure into his sights. He slowly crawled back from his position and triggered his comm. “Eagle two, Eagle One.”  
  
“Go One.” Cammy’s calm voice crackled in his ear.  
  
“Cover my position, two.” He shouldered his rifle and crawled towards the rusted fire escape ladder he had used to reach his position.  
  
“Say again One?” He could hear the tinge of confusion in her voice. “Cover your position?”  
  
“Affirmative.” He grunted as his body slammed into the side of the building as he swung over the ledge and gripped the ladder. “Asia’s here.” There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, then a curse.  
  
“Copy One. We’ll cover the best we can.” She paused. “And Shane?”  
  
“Yeah Tex?”  
  
“Be careful.”  
  


* * * * *

  
  
“My lord, a recon group reports that the Commander has been terminated.” McKay reported. “They also found two dead troopers and a dead Joe.”  
  
“Excellent McKay,” Destro smiled. “And the rest of the battle?”  
  
“The rebels advance. Also a report that the prison has been taken, but your orders had already been carried out.”  
  
Destro smiled coldly. “The Joes will find nothing there to help them. Continue.”  
  
“Intelligence shows the fighting in the outer halls moving in this direction, perhaps now would be a good time for your retreat my lord. Your jet is already prepared.”  
  
Destro leaned forward watching the screens before him and drinking in the mayhem of destruction around him. “Yes McKay, I believe you are correct in your analysis.” He stood absently brushing dust from his cape. “Come. I believe our work here is finished.”  
  
McKay bowed, allowing Destro to precede him into the hall. Once out in the hall himself, he pulled a grenade from his belt and tossed it back into the room, slamming the reinforced door shut with a clang. The metal walls would buffer the ensuing explosion, but he moved quickly to follow Destro and get out of potential harm’s way. As they turned a corner to the passage that led to the courtyard where the jet awaited, McKay caught sight of a slight shadow hiding behind a door. He smiled to himself and continued on.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
“Something’s not right.”  
  
Ann-Marie glanced over at Mac out of the corner of her eye. “There’s a lot of things 'not right' could ya be a tad more specific?”  
  
“Cammy’s taken over the frequency.”  
  
“Shane?” She frowned as Mac silently shook her head. “Cammy would have said something if he had been hit.”  
  
“Damn kid just cut contact.” Mac pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Last transmission was about Asia.”  
  
“She’s not supposed to be there. How’d did she…?”  
  
“Really?” He interrupted. “Tell me something I don’t know. And while you’re at it tell me why Shane deserted his post?”  
  
“Maybe because he gives a damn unlike someone else I know.” Ann-Marie snapped back.  
  
“Now hold on a sec…”  
  
“Would you two knock it off!” Sarah whispered harshly as she slammed a fresh canteen of water on the table between the two. “Everyone is scared enough as it is without you two in here arguing like… like… hell, I don’t even know. But get your damn minds back on your job.” She picked up the empty canteen and nearly tore the curtain out of the way as she passed through.  
  
Ann took a deep breath and a sip from the fresh canteen. “She’s right.” She handed the canteen to Mac.  
  
“Yeah maybe,” Mac admired. “But I sure as hell ain’t telling her that.”  
  


* * * * *

  
  
“Mom,” Audra called softly from the door. “We’ve got new orders.” Shana simply nodded from where she sat. “They want us to head for the city and provide back up if needed.” Audra moved slowly over and leaned on the tattered desk beside her mother.  
  
“How long until Bill’s team is finished?” Shana asked without looking at Audra.  
  
“They removed the last of the bodies,” she shivered visibly. “Clutch is filling in the last of the graves now.”  
  
Shana sighed deeply before looking at her daughter with exhausted eyes. “Did we get a finial count?”  
  
“It’s not accurate, but the estimate is over a thousand.” She laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. “So many mama, how many more don’t we even know about?”  
  
“I don’t know.” She lovingly caressed her daughter’s hair. “All I do know is we have a job to do now and the living are counting on us to do it.” She tilted Audra’s chin up and smiled sadly. “Ya know what they say, live today…”  
  
“Grieve tomorrow.” She returned the sad smile. “I’ll go let the others know.” She pushed off the desk and headed out into the dark hall.  
  
With a resounding sigh Shana stood and hefted her pack. “You can stop hiding Snake.” She turned to the masked man.  
  
 _“All the charges are ready and the others have completed gathering what files they could recover from the system.”_ He signed as he regarded the woman before him. _“I take it from Audra that the burials are complete?”_  
  
Shana nodded. “Mercer wants us to move closer to the city for some extra coverage if needed.” She brushed past the masked man, who quickly matched his steps to hers. “The ‘scripts will be safer here leave what food packs we can afford to leave. We head out in fifteen.”  
  
Snake-Eyes simply nodded _“There is something else, we found some of our missing.”_  
  
“Who?” Shana stopped and locked the masked man in her blue eyes. “How many?”  
  
 _“Less than I would have expected, most are still listed as unknown, but those that were found suffered the same fate as those here.”_ He laid a hand on her shoulder before signing, _“Your father and two brothers were among the listed.”_  
  
Shana closed her eyes for a moment fighting back the pain at the disclosed news. “Thank you,” She squeezed the hand that had returned to her shoulder. “It helps to know the truth.” She took a deep breath. “Come on, we have a job to finish.”  
  
The masked man nodded and as one they turned to face the fate they had the power to change.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
“No, keep pressure on the wound!” Lifeline grabbed the spurting leg and cursed the fates that denied him even the simplest of equipment. “Sissy I need you!” He looked around franticly for the girl.  
  
“I got this one.” Sissy calmly placed her hands atop his allowing Ed to slide his out his hands and grab a clamp. “We’re down to three I.V.s and five vials of morphine.” She glanced at the face of the current patient. “We’re completely out of plasma.”  
  
Ed continued in his attempt to stop the bleeding. “We still do what we can.” He locked the clamp onto the ruptured artery. “How you doing Ethan?” He quickly took the boy’s vitals, fighting back a frown at what he found.  
  
“Hurts like hell.” Ethan growled out. “I could use a stiff drink.”  
  
Ed forced a smile onto his face. “I’ll see what I can do for you and you’ll be back to charming girls in no time.”  
  
“Ed,” Ethan gripped the other man’s hand. “Drop the act, I ain’t stupid.”  
  
“We’ll keep you as comfortable as we can.”  
  
Ethan closed his eyes for a moment and took a shaking breath. “I gave ‘em hell.”  
  
Sissy wiped a stray hair from Ethan’s forehead. “Ya sure did.”  
  
Ed turned and with exhausted eyes glanced around at the multiple others waiting in the balance of life and death. Around him, his staff rushed from patient to patient, offering what they could to those still with them. Deep inside he resented the power of decision that forced him with a simple word to decide who lived and who died. And suddenly he felt the full weight of the world on him.  
  
“You okay?” Sissy asked. She looked him in the face, searching for an answer.  
  
Lifeline looked back down at Ethan and realized the boy was gone. He covered him with a tattered blanket and prayed under his breath. “Yeah,” he said finally, rubbing his tired eyes. “I’m just tired of playing God.”  
  


* * * * *

  
  
In the front courtyard, Steeler swore in frustration as sniper fire from both sides continued to rain down on the remaining crowd and the Commander’s Elite forces continued to hold his group back from the main building. Around him, civilians darted into his line of sight enough that Steeler had ordered his kids to hold fire unless advanced on. He mentally kept count of those who had dropped out of his contact and inwardly winced at each loss but forced his mind to remain on the job at hand.  
  
“Hey gramps!” CJ forced his way through the crowd and came up beside Steeler. “Mercer’s team managed to get into the building and you’ll never guess what they found.”  
  
“I really don’t have time to play twenty questions right now CJ.” He took aim and fired at an advancing trooper. “And where the hell is your group?”  
  
“Same place they’ve been since this started,” he retorted. “The Commander’s dead.”  
  
“I want your team to move in and secure the north…” he paused. “What did you just say?”  
  
“Cobra Commander’s dead.”  
  
“Confirmed?” The boy nodded. “What about Destro?”  
  
CJ swung his rifle, connecting with a trooper in the jaw. “No sign of him.”  
  
“I want all teams to start converging on the building.” He instinctively ducked as another rifle shot rang out from above. “And someone take out that damn sniper!” He shouted over his comm.  
  
“Easier said than done, gramps. We haven’t been able to get past the main courtyard in force.”  
  
“Split your team send them in from different directions.”  
  
The boy nodded and slammed a fresh magazine into his rifle. “Ya got it gramps.” He turned and disappeared into the crowd.  
  
“And keep your stubborn head down!” He called after CJ before turning his attention back to the troops holding the line at the building.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
_“And someone take out that damn sniper!”_ The words jolted Kat out of her daydream and she glanced around the balcony from where she had huddled just inside the door. She cautiously stepped over Zartan’s body and grabbed her mother’s gun. She could hear the general area where the sniper was on the roof, but could not see him to get a clear shot. She mentally viewed the blueprints and vetoed going around to the fire escape located on the backside of the building. The stairway inside was also out; too much fighting had been reported in the area. She glanced at the building itself and noted that the architecture provided good hand and foot holds at the corners and the enormous flag that hung from the roof would provide her enough cover to reach her goal. Eyeing the distance from the balcony to the roof, she figured she could get up there just as fast. With a deep breath she swung out and gripped the protruding stonework and started upwards.  
  
“Ok Kat just don’t look down or think about the fact you’re six floors up,” she muttered to herself as she reached for the next handhold. _Note to self… never volunteer to do something that is totally insane again._ She reached up and gripped the gutter and heaved herself up onto the roof and pulled her sidearm free. “Now if I was a sniper where would I hide?”  
  
Below her, the sounds of the battle continued. Staying down to avoid detection, she quickly glanced around caught sight of a figure perched in the shadows of an air conditioning unit. She watched as he took aim and fired, and a cry of pain drifted faintly up from the noisy courtyard below. She concentrated on getting closer to the sniper not allowing herself to be distracted. She was a bit too far away still to be certain of her shot, and at this range he would have the advantage in a shoot-out.  
  
Using what shadows there were as cover, she inched her way over to his position and took aim. She froze as the sniper started to turn, reaching for a fresh magazine. He jumped slightly as he caught her out of the corner of his eye and automatically swung his rifle round to bear. Her gun fired and echoed in her ears as the man slumped over. Kat let out the breath she was holding and crawled forward to pick up his rifle and scooted into his former position. She braced herself as she triggered her radio. “Hey gramps.”  
  
Steeler froze as a familiar voice tickled in his ear. “Kat? Where the hell have you been?!” He shouted over the brawl.  
  
“Took a break.” She smiled as she took aim. “By the way watch your back.” She fired.  
  
Steeler spun around as the trooper sneaking up on him on him suddenly fell over dead.  
  
“Your sniper issue has been neutralized,” she said as she aimed again. “Please don’t have them shoot me.”  
  
He smiled. “Good job kid, stay put and provide cover. All Groundhogs, Eagles, the sniper on target building is ours.”  
  
“Copy that Gramps.”  
  


* * * * * *

  
  
Shane cursed as his feet skidded on loose debris and his shoulder slammed into the side of the building. He regained his balance before cautiously glancing around the corner to verify that the hall was clear. Over his comm he tracked the known troop movements and adjusted his path to avoid the worst of the fighting. He paused as he came to an intersection and cursed as an explosion somewhere shook the entire structure and caused a loose ceiling tile to fall, slamming into his head. The lights flickered once, then again, and went out throwing the whole corridor into shadow.  
  
“Shit!” He cursed as he glanced up and saw that the emergency lights were barely working. Warm wetness trickled down his temple and he knew he was bleeding. “Damn it, which way?” He muttered to himself as he roughly wiped the blood from his forehead and again glanced around the corner. He started to move but froze when the sound of running footsteps echoed over the distant gunfire. He smiled coldly, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and drawing his sidearm before flattening against the wall. The footsteps came pounding down the hall closer and rounded the corner. With ease of long practice Shane stepped out and straight-armed a lone trooper across the neck. The clothesline put the trooper at his feet with a bone-jarring thud. Shane stepped over the stunned man, his gun pointed at his head. “Going somewhere?” He growled.  
  
The trooper struggled a moment for a moment to sit up before Shane pushed him back down with his boot on the Cobra’s chest. Leaning down, he jabbed his pistol under the man’s chin. “I’m just a ‘script!” the man pleaded as Shane’s boot added pressure. “I don’t know nothing!”  
  
“Oh, I think ya do.” He snarled at his prisoner. “Destro…” He let the rest of the question trail off.  
  
The trooper’s adams apple bobbed up and down as he hastily swallowed. “There- there’s a plane in the main courtyard, take the left hallway.”  
  
“Thanks,” Shane said as he stepped back and offered him a hand up. The trooper reluctantly took it and got to his feet. Without warning, Shane pulled back and slammed the man’s face into the wall, letting the limp form slump to the ground. He switched back to his rifle before dashing down the long corridor towards his quarry.  
  


* * * * * *

  
  
Destro smiled to himself as he stepped out into the open courtyard. It was a very good day. Cobra Commander was dead, the meddling Baroness was no longer a concern, and soon he would be away from this foolishly accessible headquarters. Once in his remote fortress, he would then start his eradication of the remaining rebels, and rule this forsaken planet in a proper, dictator fashion. Puffing with pride, he marched towards his waiting escape. Behind him, he could hear McKay following at the appropriate distance from his lord. As Destro approached his personal jet, he realized that the jet was silent instead of going through the preflight warm up. He was about to turn to McKay and ask him why when a shadow stepped out from behind the open ramp. “Well, well… it seems we have a visitor.”  
  
McKay was instantly at Destro’s side, his weapon out. “Shall I take care of it my lord?”  
  
Destro’s eyes glanced the figure up and down, pausing momentarily on the blood-stained beret clutched in her free hand. Slowly, a malicious smile blossomed across his lips. “Ahh, I wondered if you had survived my dear.” He motioned for McKay to lower his gun and step back. “A pity you did though, it is however, a simple matter to rectify personally.” He drew his gun and nearly brought it to bear when a flash of silver flew through the air the hot pain of knife through flesh forced him to drop the weapon.  
  
Asia calmly took a step forward, a small smile crossing her face as she watched the masked man stare at the handle protruding from his shoulder. When he glanced at her she caught a moment of fear in his eyes.  
  
A voice rough with lack of use and empty of emotion asked a single question. “Remember?”  
  
Destro pulled the blade from his shoulder, his face not betraying the pain he felt, he refused to let the whelp have that satisfaction. A moment of study identified the blade as the one he had plunged into the Lady Jaye’s chest many years ago. “Of course I do.” His eyes narrowed as he saw the slight girl before him as a real threat for the first time. “And it shall be a pleasure to return this to you, but not right now.”  
  
Pain like a hot poker cut through Asia’s leg as a bullet from a hidden derringer found its mark. She bit back a cry and fought to regain her balance on the injured leg. In the moment that it took her to adjust, Destro had thrown aside the one-shot weapon and reacquired his regular side arm, slowly stalking towards her. “No, I won’t give up!” She whispered forcefully to herself as she clutched her mother’s pistol to her chest. “He won’t win. I won’t let him!” She flung herself sideways and fired.  
  
“Little Bitch!” The masked man cursed as he dodged the shot. “For that, your death is going to last a long, long while.” He fired his own gun in response, smiling as the bullet found its target and dropped the girl to the ground.  
  
Asia’s arm went numb as the bullet slammed into her shoulder and she crashed into the ground, her pistol skittering away. She frantically glanced around and tried to reach for the gun as a boot stomped down on her hand. “No…”  
  
“I am afraid so, my dear.” He ground her hand painfully into the gravel as he shifted his weight to reach down and acquired her pistol. “I know I promised to make it slow, but I do hope you forgive me, I think I’ve change my mind. And to make it even more delicious, I believe I’ll keep the knife as a token and use this instead.”  
  
Asia fought down a shiver as the cold metal of her mother’s gun pressed against her temple. She calmly looked the masked man in the eye. “Bastard!”  
  
“Perhaps.” He cocked the gun. “However, bastard or not, I still win.”  
  


* * * * *

  
  
Shane’s breath came in ragged gasps as he tore down the deserted halls in the direction the trooper had indicated. The sound of gunfire from somewhere ahead added desperation to his steps and he wanted to burst into the courtyard, but he forced himself to skid to a stop out of sight. His blue eyes quickly took in the area, Destro, Asia and a single viper. He quickly settled the stock of his rifle on his shoulder and took aim at the viper when a single gunshot followed by a word stopped him milliseconds from pulling the trigger.  
  
“Bastard!”  
  
With a reflex bred from years of experience, he swung his aim towards the sound of that voice and fired.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
The report of a rifle shocked Asia more than the sudden absence of the gun against her temple. She watched Destro fall, knocked off balance by the shot. Her mother’s pistol fell to the ground again, somehow not firing despite being cocked. With new resolve and effort, she reached out and grasped the gun in her off hand and pushed herself to her feet. An odd smile crossed her face, one that would have sent chills down Satan’s own back. “You were saying?” she quietly asked the masked man as she knelt beside him and aimed the gun.  
  
“You won’t do it.” Destro bit through his teeth as blood blossomed on his tunic just under his lower rib. “You’re weak like your parents.”  
  
The amusement disappeared from the young woman’s face and was replaced with an emotionless mask. “You’re wrong,” she absently touched the beret stuffed in her belt. “I’m nothing like them.” She leaned forward and breathed in his ear, “You made me.”  
  
She pulled the trigger.  
  


* * * * *

  
  
Shane observed Asia slowly kneel beside Destro and casually aim her pistol. With a glance towards the viper, who had strangely yet to make a move to assist his lord, Shane acted.  
  
The force of a body slamming into her sent her shot wide and harmlessly into the dirt beside the masked man’s head. She was wrapped up in arms and pulled away. Struggling against the grip of whoever it was that restrained her, she froze when a familiar voice broke through.  
  
“Stop Asia!” He waited as her brown eyes suddenly focused on him and cleared of the fury and pain took over.  
  
“Shane?” Her voice was unsure, shaking. Then it turned accusing. “Why?”  
  
Shane relaxed his iron grip on her arms and allowed her to sit up while he moved to cover the motionless Destro. “You know why.”  
  
“He deserves to die!” She angrily picked up her weapon and got back on her feet. Walking towards the still form, she gestured with the gun. “He needs to die!” Tears streaked the dirt on her cheeks.  
  
Shane stepped between her and the target, keeping one eye on the still dangerous man. “Yes, he does deserve to die, but not by you.” He watched her resolve fade for a moment and pressed his advantage. “You kill him like this-” he jerked his head at Destro, “-and you’re no better than he is.”  
  
“I…” The pistol wavered.  
  
“Asia, you kill him and he wins.” He watched her brown eyes slowly clear. “Don’t let him win.”  
  
Reluctantly the pistol lowered. “No, I won’t.”  
  
Shane took a deep, thankful breath. “Cover the Viper.” He turned to secure Destro as a prisoner when suddenly his rifle was ripped from his grasp and he was roughly shoved aside.  
  
“Asia!”  
  
Time slowed as Destro, from his knees, swung the rifle around to fire at her. In a blink, Asia had her weapon up. A malicious smile crossed the masked man’s face as they faced each other, weapons poised for a death shot. Neither was willing to give any quarter. “Time to end this.”  
  
Asia tensed for the shock of the slug then just as quickly relaxed as the sound of the gun shot echoed away and she realized the pain she expected did not come. Her eyes darted to Shane first and saw he was unharmed then fell on masked man second. Her eyes widened in surprise as he clutched his chest and weakly tried to staunch the flow of blood through his fingers.  
  
“You…?” Destro growled out. He fell forward, face first into the ground.  
  
Calmly, McKay stepped forward, his pistol still smoking from the discharge. “Checkmate, my lord.”  
  


* * * * *

  
  
Ann-Marie fought to keep her fatigue at bay for just a while longer. Determined not to leave until the battle was over, she had adamantly denied access to her station those who had come to relieve her. Sarah had humored them by continuing to provide food and drink, but finally decided that nothing less than knocking Ann and Mac on their senseless heads and dragging them out unconscious would deter them.  
  
“Anything?” Kay asked as she entered the small area and collected empty cups and plates.  
  
“No news is good news.” Ann-Marie smiled tiredly at the medic. “Aside from troop movements and causality reports, no, nothing new.” Beside her, Mac suddenly jerked. The attention was instantly on him. “Mac?”  
  
“Listen to this!” He thrust his headpiece at the startled woman.  
  
“What is it?” Kay asked, worry coloring her voice. When she didn’t get an answer, she shook the computer jockey’s shoulder. “Ann-Marie?” A sudden smile spread across the woman’s face. Desperate, she looked at the man sitting beside Ann-Marie. “Mac? What the hell is it?””  
  
The joy in her expression was obvious as she threw down her headset and let out a choked sigh. “Come with me!” Ann grabbed Kay’s hand and dragged her along behind as she composed her face into a blank mask. She pulled the curtain aside and stepped into the larger cavern. “I have news.”  
  
Around her, the quiet mutters of conversation stopped as everyone gave her their attention. Some gathered children to them, and others simply waited in silence. Ann-Marie took a moment to look into everyone’s face before taking a deep breath. In a voice full of emotion she reported, “Cobra Commander and Destro are dead. It’s over!”


	13. And The Light

[](http://s813.photobucket.com/user/annieo741/media/Ragnarokfinal_zps99000b16.jpg.html)

_  
Still remember the world  
From the eyes of a child  
Slowly those feelings  
Were clouded by what I now know_

_Where has my heart gone  
An uneven trade for the real world  
Oh I, I want to go back to  
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_

_I still remember the sun  
Always warm on my back  
Somehow it seems colder now_

_Where has my heart gone  
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger  
Oh I, I want to go back to  
Believing in everything_

_Where has my heart gone  
An uneven trade for the real world  
Oh I, I want to go back to  
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_

_Where has my heart gone  
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger  
Oh I, I want to go back to  
Believing in everything  
Field Of Innocence: By Evanescence_

* * * * *

_If there’s one thing I hate,_ Katerina Pulaski thought to herself as she settled the stock of her rifle to her shoulder. _This is it._ She swore as her target managed to duck in among the civilians still crowded in the court. _Damn people!_ She swung to acquire another target.

“Pulaski!” Mercer’s gruff voice cut through the comm circuits. “I hear ya got a bird’s eye view.”

She smiled slightly. “You could say that Lead, but the scenery sucks.”

Mercer snorted. “I want you to do a one-eighty and get your smart ass to the back, we had reports of Destro heading towards the center courtyard.”

Kat quickly slung the rifle over her shoulder and wiggled back from her vantage point. “Your wish is my command, O fearless leader.”

“Can it, Kat!” Steeler’s tone left little room for argument. “And move!”

“Copy gramps.” She muttered as she slowly crawled back from her position, pausing long enough to grab a fresh clip from the dead Cobra sniper. Proceeding towards the back of the building, she paused, considering her options for a good location to set up. Kat decided on a shadowed corner where the concrete ledge had crumbled away, allowing a clear view of the courtyard. She settled into as comfortable position as she could and turned her scope down on the vista below. Destro and the viper were expected targets, however she froze when her sights passed over a figure crouched near the idling jet. “Lead, I’ve acquired target--” she said into her comm, “--and you wouldn’t believe who else dropped in.”

“Keep Destro pinned down. And if you say Santa Claus, I’ll shoot you myself.” Mercer growled.

“Negative on a jolly man in a red suit lead, but I do have a visual on Asia.” Kat cringed at the swearing through the comm. “Say again Lead? Your colorful metaphors were garbled.”

“Pulaski, you hold position and do not, I repeat, do not let Destro escape.”

She winced slightly at Mercer’s tone. “Copy Lead.” She swung her weapon back towards Destro. “Shit! Lead, she just jumped him!”

“Kat.” Steeler’s calming voice broke through the comm chatter. “I’ve got a team heading your way.”

“Copy. Lead, Eagle One just showed up. Orders?”

Mercer’s voice was ice cold. “Destro does not leave. Even if you have to shoot through Asia or Shane.”

“Received.” The word was not even out of her mouth when there was a gunshot from below. She watched in shock as Destro clutched his chest and slowly fell to his knees. “What the hell?!” She quickly noted that Shane’s rifle not in a position to be fired and then she saw him. “Lead-- Destro is down! I repeat Destro is down!”

“Hold your position till we get there Kat!” Steeler ordered.

* * * * *

Shane was in shock as he watched the viper step forward, holding his hands out in a show of no aggression. He glanced at the slumped body of the evil that had held most of the world in his fist and back to the viper. “Why?”

The viper ignored him, instead looking towards Asia. “You have the look of my sister,” his voice suddenly took on a hint of a Scottish accent. He turned his attention back to Shane. “I have my reasons. Take care of her.” He bowed and stepped back, heading towards the jet.

“Wait!” Asia’s confusion was evident in her voice. He paused and looked over his shoulder. “Do I know…?”

“No.” He smiled sadly . “I am no one you need know.” He turned and slowly walked up the ramp.

Shane shook himself out of his shock and raised his rifle to take aim only to have Asia’s hand stop him. “Let him go Shane,” she whispered. “Just let him go.”

“Asia…”

“Please Shane,” she glanced over at Destro’s form. Keying her comm, she stated in a clear voice: “Hold your fire -- tag departing air traffic as friendly.”

“What the… who the hell is this?” Blaine’s voice pierced over the comm lines.

“This is Eagle One. Tag ‘em friendly, Mainframe.” Shane confirmed as the jets engines whined up. “Just let ‘em go.” He pulled Asia back quickly as the dust kicked up from the VTOL jets kicked in and the plane slowly lifted away from the ground.

“Copy Eagle One,” Mainframe’s voice conveyed his insecurity. “I hope to hell you’re right about this…”

“McBride!” Mercer’s voice cut over Blaine’s. “I expect a full report when I get there.”

Shane winced at the tone of Mercer’s voice. “Copy that Lead. What’s your ETA?” He glanced left at the movement from a door. “Cancel that request Lead, I see ya.”

Kat saw Mercer and his team come running out of the building below and at the same moment Steeler and his team entered from the opposite direction. She slung her rifle over her shoulder and swung herself over the side, using an old storm pipe to climb down. She joined Steeler as he crouched over Destro. “Is he?”

Steeler looked up at her and nodded. “Who got him?” he asked.

Kat pointed at the jet disappearing into the sky. “Didn’t even blink, just shot him in the back.” She glanced over at Mercer and Shane. “If he hadn’t they wouldn’t be arguing about it right now.”

Steeler nodded his agreement. “Let them get it out of their systems now. Let’s make sure the perimeter secure.” He pulled Kat off to the side, away from the two men and signaled to his team.

“-What the hell were you doing leaving you post?” Mercer ground out.

Shane didn’t even blink at the man’s obvious barely-contained anger. “I had my position covered.”

“That’s not the point and you know it!” Mercer leaned in closer. “You had orders. I expect you to follow them. Not go running off like some rookie!”

“Who ya callin’ a rookie—“

“I ain’t done yet!” Mercer shouted. He took a deep breath. “That being said, good job kid.”

Shane blinked in surprise, speechless as Mercer about faced sharply and headed over to Steeler who was spreading out his team in a perimeter. He looked around for Asia and saw her standing to the side, alone. “You ok?” he asked when he had come up beside her.

She nodded, her eyes locked on the body lying in the dirt. “He’s really dead.” She started to tremble and felt Shane’s arm around her shoulders.

“It’s over,” he whispered into her hair as he pulled her close. “He can’t hurt you anymore.” He felt her lean into him and wrap her arms around his waist. Moisture gathered against his neck and knew she was crying. “Let it go,” he murmured. “Let it all go.”

She held onto him with all her strength, using him as her connection to reality as her mind spun out of control in all the grief she had bottled up for most of her life. In one great explosion, the walls she had built around her emotions burst and flooded out uncontrollably. She could hear in the distance Shane whispering to her, offering what comfort he could as the flood drowned her already frayed psyche. Then suddenly, there was nothing but comforting darkness.

“Asia?” He caught her as she suddenly went limp in his arms. “Asia?!” He released his pack and dropped to his knees to keep from dropping her as Steeler and Kat came rushing over to help. “She just went limp!” He looked up at Steeler in panic as the older man took her from him.

Easing her on the ground, Steeler checked her pulse. “Her pulse is fine, and she’s breathing. Asia?” He shook her gently. “Asia? C’mon honey, it’s over. Come back to us.” When she didn’t respond, his eyes met Shane’s. “Let’s get her to Lifeline just to be safe.” He scooped Asia up in his arms and got to his feet. “Kat, stick with my team for now.”

She nodded. “No problem gramps.” Her gaze followed them as Steeler and Shane headed off and then turned her mind to the mop-up.

* * * * *

“Ok listen up people!” Mac shouted into the cavern of cheering people and waiting a moment for them to fall silent. “We still have work to do. The teams are going to be coming in with wounded. Kay,” he turned to the exhausted woman. “Take Sarah and whoever you need to help you set up.”

“Max and I have our team picked already, Mac.” She stood up, hands going instantly to her aching back. “We might need more depending on how many come in. I haven’t gotten any numbers from Ed.”

Mac nodded. “Beth, round up something for chow, and all the coffee we can scrounge. I think we’re gonna need it.”

“I could use some of the older kids for scroungers.” Beth said.

“Take as many as you need.” He heard several of them already volunteering. “Savannah and Stasha-- ”

“We know,” Stasha Pearlmutter broke in with a chuckle in her voice. “Babysitting duty.”

Mac turned towards the voice. “Smart ass. Go.” He smiled to himself. “Everyone else, pitch in where you can.” He turned back after closing the curtain between the outer cave and Ann’s workstation. “That should keep everyone busy and their minds off of everything.”

“Lucky them,” Ann-Marie sighed as more comm traffic jumbled through. “What’s going on out there Mac?”

Mac shrugged as he replaced his headset. “You know the drill Ann, we sit and we keep our heads so they,” he pointed to the curtain behind him. “Don’t lose theirs.”

“I know, I just hate the not knowing, and being expected to know it anyway.” She turned back to her station. “Go ahead, Blaine.”

“Things are starting to get organized out here finally.” Mainframe’s voice betrayed his exhaustion. “We have secondary confirmation on the Commander and Destro and the mop-up has officially begun.”

Ann-Marie smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Mac. “That’s great news Hacker, we’ll be sure to pass it on here. Everyone could use some good news.”

“It’s not all good babe. Stand by to receive the current causality list.” Ann watched as the data scrolled across her screen. “Next contact is scheduled in fifteen, that is one-five, minutes.”

“Copy that, data received.” Ann-Marie replied as she printed off the list. “Let Lifeline know we’re set up here to receive any wounded he can move.”

“Will do.” Blaine sighed heavily. “ILY Ann-Marie. Mainframe out.”

“Me too Hacker. Me too.” Ann whispered as she pulled her headset off. “Mac? Can ya mind the store? I need to get this list to Sarah.”

The former sniper nodded. “Ann?” he turned towards the sound of her voice. “Is…?”

“No Mac. Shane isn’t on the list.”

“Thanks.” He felt the knot in his chest relax as Ann-Marie’s footfalls drew further away.

* * * * *

The streets were eerily empty as Shana and her team wandered down the main arteries of the city. Most doors that lined the main streets were barred shut and windows locked tight against the gunfire heard in the distance. It felt as if the very buildings were holding their breath waiting for the outcome of the battle. Shana shuddered slightly at the unnatural silence that held the night.

“Anyone else feel like we walked into a ghost town?” Bill asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Clutch fought down a chill. “I don’t blame them for hiding. But this is just creepy.”

“Cut the chatter boys,” Shana ordered. “Most of the civilians were taken to attend the assembly.” She pointed in the direction of the gunfire in the distance. “I have a feeling that’s where we’ll find our teams.”

“How bad do ya think it is darlin’?”

The redhead shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine Bill. Let’s look on the bright side here, gunfire at least means some of us are still fighting.”

“You always this cheerful Red?” Clutch asked.

She shook her head, “Comes with old age. Stay sharp. Let’s move it.”

* * * * *

_LeClair, Daniel. LeClair, Ethan. Pearlmutter, Stanley. Longstead, Seth._

He stared at the row of cloth-covered bodies that lined up along the deteriorating concrete wall of the building. In his mind he had kept a running list of the names of those he knew and a count of those he didn’t and to him it was too many, as it had always been since this damn war had started. So many that had never known more than the world that crumbled around them. So many that had never known anything but living from hand to mouth and the loss of those around them.

“You look like someone with a lot on your mind.” Sissy said softy as she came up beside him. “The incoming are starting to taper off.”

“Good,” Ed commented with a deep breath. “How do the supplies look?”

“Plasma is gone, we’ve resorted to using volunteers for transfusions when we can, and we’re nearly out of morphine.” Sissy sighed. “Sterile needles, bandages, gloves, hell sterile anything is a memory.”

Ed nodded. “As soon as we can send a team to check any available medical facility for antibiotics, dressings or anything we need.”

“Already did, so far zilch. Cobra made sure they didn’t leave much behind for us.” She shivered. “Not that they really did much for their injured. And before you ask I already got what I could from the cells.”

“We just do what we can Sissy.”

* * * * *

Kay’s eyes scanned the medical cavern until she caught sight of the man she had come in search of. “Max, “she called. “I need you to come with me.”

Max looked up from the patient he had just finished with and frowned at Kay. “Can it wait? I’ve got more people coming in.”

Kay shook her head. “You have to be there when I do this.” She handed him the list when he walked over to her.

Max suddenly felt the world crash in around him as two names leapt out at him from the paper. “God, not both of them.” His gray eyes begged Kay to deny it, her expression told him all the truth he needed. “She’s in the nursery with the kids.”

Savannah smiled at the ordered chaos that the children produced around her. She had found her niche away from the endless patrols and dangers outside the caverns and into the dangers and endless running amuck of the nursery. She never denied that she wanted a hoard of her own children one day…if Max was willing. She looked up and smiled as Max and Kay appeared in the entrance to the cavern, and then he smile faded as she realized the seriousness of their expressions. She stood, shooing the toddler she had on her lap off to play with the others. “What’s wrong?” She glanced from Max to Kay and back again.

“We need to talk Savannah.” Max whispered softly. “It’s about…”

“Wait, not here.” She turned and motioned to Courtney she was leaving the room. “In there.” She pointed to a small storage nook. “It’s my dad isn’t it?” She asked softly once they were out of earshot of the children.

“I’m sorry ‘Savannah.” Kay placed a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder

“Was it quick? Did he suffer?”

“Ed said from the injuries it was instant…” Kay stopped, unable to continue.

Savannah looked up, her eyes filling with tears. “What? What is it? Max?”

“Ethan.”

“No. No no no…” Savannah slowly shook her head, denying what Max was trying to tell her. “Not Ethan… not him too… not both of them!”

“I’m so sorry ‘Anna,” Max whispered. “He took a hit to the leg. Lifeline did everything he could but the bullet hit the artery and--”

“Noooooooooooo!” she sagged against him sobbing.

“Kay?” Max jerked his head at the doorway, and she nodded in understanding. “Come here, my Anna.” He wrapped his arms around her and simply held on as she wept. “You’re not alone. I’m right here.”

* * * * *

The old mine was a hive of activity when the first group of wounded and teams marched back in. As they entered wounded were sent in one direction while the others were handed a hot bowel of soup and sent to a tunnel off to the side to rest and eat.

“How bad was it?” Kay asked Clutch as he wandered in behind a group of walking wounded.

“It could have been better,” he reported as he glanced about the area. “Damn troopers opened fire into the civilian crowd. There were a lot of dead innocents.” His frown turned to a smile as he caught sight of a familiar figure making her way through the crowd to him.

Kay looked over her shoulder. “Already found you I see.” She handed Clutch a bowl of soup and moved to allow Beth her greeting.

“Thank God,” She threw her arms around her husband and clutched him tightly to her. “I…”

He held her trembling form to him as the others continued their work around the couple. “It’s ok Beth, I’m here.” He whispered into her hair as her emotions slowly grew under control. “Look at me, not even a scratch.” He slowly pulled away from her and wiped an escaping tear off her cheek. “I told ya I’d be fine.”

“I know, I know.” She took a deep breath. “I can’t lose you again.” She blinked and looked down and the soup now soaking the front of both their clothing. “Lance, I’m sorry…”

“I just hope Kay doesn’t see, ya know she hates wasting good food.” He teased and winked. “And hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman.” Beth hid a laugh behind her hand. “There’s a smile finally.”

“I heard that.” Kay thumped Clutch in the back of the head as she came up from behind. “And this is yours I believe.” She released the child pulling at her hand before turning back to her patients.

“Daddy!” Toby wrapped himself around his father’s legs with a huge smile. “Up!”

Lance leaned down and scooped his three-year-old son into his arms then reaching and pulling Beth into his embrace. “I’m home.”

Around them the tide of chaos continued without notice as one family reunited, took serenity in each other among the broken.

* * * * *

It was into an eerie silence that Shana Hauser walked in on at her quarters. Duke was as she left him, almost a full day ago. Lying in their bed, the only sign of life was the slow, rhythmic rising and falling of his chest. She pulled off her gloves and tattered jacket before sitting carefully on the edge of the bed beside him. With loving, tender hands she brushed his graying hair off his forehead and silently prayed for him to open his eyes. He had declined quickly in the last year after suffering a series of small strokes and now, despite Ed and Kay’s best efforts, Shana knew she wouldn’t have him with her much longer.

“Conrad?” She whispered as her fingers continued to lightly run through his hair. “If you can hear me please open your eyes.” She sat waiting in the silence. “Please…” She fought back the tears that always welled up when she saw him like this. “Just one more time.” She held her breath as slowly, so slowly, she watched his blue eyes appear from under near transparent lids. “Hi.” She smiled at him and brushed his lips with her own.

“Girls?” He croaked out after several attempts.

“They’re fine.” She was quick to reassure him about his daughters. “You’d be proud of them Conrad.”

He tried to smile, the left side of his face not cooperating. Weakly squeezing Shana’s hand, he managed, “A-always was.” They sat in silence for several minutes while Duke regained the strength to speak again. “D-destro? C-c-commander?”

“Dead.” With one word, for the first time since they had lost the base, Scarlett saw a glimmer of the man she had fallen in love with and married. The man that had fought to keep his people alive, the man he was before he had accepted the weight of all the dead they had left behind.

He sighed a heavy sigh and looked at his wife with a moment of clarity. “It’s over Shana.” He murmured. “I love you.”

“I know,” She leaned down and again gently kissed him before lying beside him. “I love you too.”

They lay together, his fingers twined in her hair, her hand resting on his chest. Together, as slowly a heart that had held the death, pain, and betrayal of so many others thumped a final beat-

-And stilled.

* * * * *

Shane made his way through the mine tunnels lost in thought. He had left Asia, who insisted he do this, sleeping under the medical staff’s watchful eye. Her episode had given him a bad scare. However, Ed had assured him that she had a fainting spell, brought on by all the overwhelming experience she had just gone through in the courtyard. So here he was, searching for the last person he had ever thought he would actually attempt to find willingly.

“Looking for someone Shane?” He turned and frowned at the woman leaning against the tunnel wall. “Merd, but your father has that same look when he’s caught off guard.” She pushed herself off the wall and offered her hand. “We’ve never actually met. I’m Rissa.”

He took her hand after a moment’s pause. “I know who you are,” he replied, his eyes catching the small bump at her waistline.

She smiled softly at Shane, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “Believe me, it was a surprise to me and Mac as well, especially at my age.” She studied him a moment. “You’ve probably hear this a lot, but you look like your father, especially in the eyes.”

Shane pulled his hand free. “Yeah, whatever.” He turned and started to walk away.

“He’s not in the command room.”

“What?” Shane stopped and turned to face the woman again.

Rissa walked over and took Shane by the arm. “Your father, that’s who you’re looking for isn’t it?” She used her momentum to pull Shane along after her.

He stumbled after her. “What? No I was…” He tried to stammer out.

She smiled over her shoulder at him. “Sure, sure, and I’m the Prime minister of Quebec.” She came to a halt outside one of the many openings lining the tunnel. “And just like your father, you clench your jaw when the subject of you two comes up.” She released his arm and gave him a gentle, but firm shove into the doorway. “Mac, love, you have company.” She pulled the curtain shut with a snap and disappeared back into the hall.

“Great,” Shane muttered to himself as his eyes scanned the room. “First Asia now her.” He looked over his shoulder at the curtain-covered entrance and for a moment thought to just leave and forget the whole thing, but his father’s voice ended that idea.

“Shane?” Mac stood up from the chair at the table and moved to the center of the room not believing his ears. When he did not get a response, he barked, “I can hear you breathing. Either talk or leave.” His blank eyes stared towards his son. Mac froze at the sound of feet scuffing on the dirt floor away from him. “That’s right, too much of a coward to face me. Go on, run away like you always have.” His senses warned him and he managed to tense up just as Shane’s tackled him to the ground.

Shane threw himself at his father before he could even think of stopping the motion. In his anger, his fist flew out on its own volition. “Coward?!” he yelled out while his fist connected with his father’s jaw. “You’re the fucking coward! You left us to die! You left us!” He couldn’t even see his father’s face through his own tears. “You killed them! You killed them! I fucking hate you!”

Mac did little to protect himself as his son’s fist slammed into his face. He was numb to the pain that the attack caused, his mind instead focusing on his son’s words. _You killed them! You killed them! I fucking hate you!_

“It was my fault.”

Shane pulled back from delivering another blow and stared at his father’s bleeding lip. “What?” He flung himself back off Mac’s chest. “What did you say?” He gasped as he tried to catch his breath.

Mac sat up, absently touching the cut on his lip. “I said, it was my fault. And don’t think there hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t thought about eating a bullet to save you the trouble to hating me Shane, but I couldn’t let them win.”

“Let who win?”

Mac snorted, “The same people who killed your mom and sister.” He tenderly rubbed his jaw. “Ya got a wicked left, kid. Good to know something I tried to pound into that thick head of yours stuck.”

“Don’t get used to it.” Shane countered. “This doesn’t change anything.” He pushed himself to his feet.

“Never said it would.” Mac replied as he got to his feet to blindly search for a rag to staunch the bleeding. Shane grabbed one off the table and place it in his hand. Startled, Mac muttered, “Thanks.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Shane shrugged and scuffed his feet; for the first time in his life he had no idea how to deal with this man. Hating him? That was easy, something he knew how to do. But to actually want trust him, even a little? “Look. About…”

“Forget it Shane, don’t mean nothin’. Hear me?”

“Yeah, I hear you.” Shane nodded, realizing that like himself, his father was groping for familiar ground. “I gotta report to give.” He turned sharply on his heel and headed for the hallway. “Bye… Dad.”

Rissa waited a moment, allowing Shane to disappear down the tunnel in the opposite direction before she entered her living quarters. “If I had known you two would try to kill each other I would have stayed.” She shook her head at Mac as her eyes took in the damage. “Course he didn’t look as bad as you.” She took the rag from him and fetched the small first aid kit from her pack. “You’re lucky you have a steel jaw MacBride.” She clicked as she dabbed antibacterial cream on his open gashes.

“He called me Dad,” he reached up and took her hand in his. “He hasn’t called me that since he was thirteen.”

Rissa smiled to herself. “Maybe next time you two decide to talk you can do it like civilized people…use boxing gloves.” She squealed when Mac suddenly pulled her down to his lap. “Mac?”

He just smiled and pressed his lips to hers.

* * * * *

Steeler surveyed the street from his vantage point on the rooftops above. The first week after the attack on Cobra had seen some of the worst fighting in city since the beginning, but for the last five nights the city had been fairly quiet with only the occasional sound of gunfire from the remaining Cobra insurgence. His team, like most of the other cells that had called the city home, ended up drawing the clean up detail for the inner portion and thus some of the harder battles. He had lost count of the number of his own people he had been forced to bury after the battles, but he would always remember the names…and the faces.

“Gramps? You up here?”

He grinned to himself and answered without turning. “Over here Kat.” He felt her come up beside him and looked down at her petite form. Rifle slung over a shoulder, clothing covered in dirt and dust. Her shoulder length blond hair held back with a bandana, her face smeared with oil and grim from her patrol. Like most of his kids, she would rather have the look of a vagabond then give the enemy a clear view at what she looked like. “So?”

“All is quiet now, TJ’s cronies had a small scuffle with two regulars trying to steal some ammo.” She shrugged her rifle off her shoulder. “I didn’t even find a mouse on my walk about.”

“Any one hit in TJ’s group?”

“TJ got nicked, but maybe he’ll learn to duck now.” She smiled up at Steeler. “Although I doubt it.” Her smile slowly disappeared as she caught the look on the older man’s face. “Something wrong?”

He took a moment to again glance down at the dark streets below as he gathered his thoughts. “About your mom…”

“I wondered when you were going to bring this up.” Kat sighed and leaned forward, resting her arms on the ledge of the building. “What do you want me to do? Wallow in grief for a woman I hadn’t seen since I was three? Hell before that I never saw her, Sarah was more a mom than she was.”

“Kat, I know you too well, hell I practically raised you, and I can tell when something’s eating you.” He turned towards her. “I was there when Alexia was hit remember, I saw your reaction.”

“And I cried my tears and moved on, just like always.” She took a deep breath. “You want me to admit that I miss her? Fine, but I came to terms with that along time ago. I look back at my life and I don’t see her there. I see you and Sarah. Family ain’t just genetics, it’s being there when I needed someone to hold me when I was scared or sick. You’re the one who taught me how to survive here, not her and not the father who died before I was even born.” She reached out and took his hand in hers. “Far as I’m concerned you’re my dad-- always have been.”

Steeler looked down at their hands then back up and the young woman he had considered a daughter since she was three, then smiled. “Just what I always wanted. A smart ass for a kid.”

She laughed. “Yeah well you did raise me.” She ducked the mock punch he threw and danced away. “Catch ya later…Pops.”

He grinned as he watched her go. “Pops?” He shook his head and decided he could live with that.

* * * * *

“Right now most of the fighting is taking place west of the city.” Wild Bill accounted as he pointed out locations on the map. “It’s mainly Crimson Guard and a few regulars, nothing a splinter team can’t handle.”

Shana nodded as she regarded the points on the map. In the three weeks since the last battle they had managed to weed out all but a few scattered groups of major resistance from the remaining Cobra forces in the areas around the city. “Send Steeler’s group out, he’s been complaining that his kids need something to keep them out of trouble.”

“Communication is stable with all the groups now.” Blaine spoke up. “A.M. is still threatening to blow up the computers every two seconds, but so far we’re as secure as we’ve ever been. Reports have been coming in from just about everywhere, most favorable.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “However, I received the casualty list from Jack just before I got here.”

“How many?” Shana steeled herself for the added burden of more losses.

“Less than here actually, most of them were in the civvies…”

“But?” Sarah asked.

“We lost Cross-Country and Rock ‘n Roll.”

Silence followed the statement for a few moments.

“How’s-” Sarah had to stop and clear her throat, “-how’s Mollie?”

Blaine looked up. “Dial-Tone’s taking care of her.”

“Send our thoughts to them next time Blaine.”

He nodded. “I will Red, I will.”

“I’ll pass the word on here.” Bill made a note on his list then scanned the next item. “Lifeline is still looking for a clean up crew so he can set up a clinic in one of the hospitals.”

Shana pulled herself back into the necessary items that needed to be done. _Time to grieve later…a lifetime._ “Do we have enough people to provide security for personnel there?” She asked as she turned her attention to Dusty.

“We got a few who volunteered to help out with this Red, it would do a lot of moral in the city.”

“Agreed?” She glanced around the table at the other camp CO’s. Everyone returned nods. “Done then.” She turned to the medic. “Draw what ya need from our supplies here, but don’t drain us dry.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words.

“Don’t worry Kay wouldn’t let me if I tried.” He looked over to Courtney. “Can I steal some of the older orphans to help with the clean up?”

The former model nodded. “Try and stop them, they’ve been cooped up too long with nothing to do.” She smiled fondly as she thought of the hoard of kids she had taken responsibility for. “Couple of them are pretty good scavengers too.”

“I’ll leave it to the two of you to sort out the work parties and a schedule. Now we have one more matter here.” Shana took a deep breath before speaking again. “Mercer.” She sat, turning the floor over to her co-commander.

The ex-cobra stood and regarded the group with his hard eyes. “Destro and the Commander are dead and yeah the troops are scattered and we’re weeding them out one by one.” He paused. “But it ain’t gonna be over any time soon and we got people that wanna get on with re-building not fighting.”

“Why do I feel like I’m not going to like where this is going?” Clutch spoke up as he leaned forward and steepled his fingers.

“Where it’s going,” Shana broke in, “is the fact that we still need a armed force ready to keep what remains of Cobra at bay, but we also have people that are tired of fighting and being on guard all the time. That, coupled with the fact that we must start rebuilding and get as much done before winter hits means we need to make some hard choices.”

“Darlin’ this whole thing’s one hard choice after another.” Bill leaned back in his chair. “How ya plan on pickin’?”

“We don’t…”

Mercer cut in. “This ain’t something that we're telling you so you can agree with us, it’s already done.” He paused until the mutters around the table stopped. “And just so ya know _we-_ “ He indicated himself and Scarlett. “-Didn’t pick anyone, _everyone_ volunteered.” He tossed a paper on the table. “Some of ya won’t be happy with the names on the list, but it was their choice.” Several frowned as they took in the names. “If ya got objections take it up with them personally.”

Sarah slowly laid the paper back on the table. “We should have expected this.” She motioned to the list. “Right now their world is more upside down than ever. Cobra and livin’ from day t’ day they understand, but tell ‘em they don’t need ‘t be afraid anymore and it scares ‘em more than Destro.”

Clutch glared at the others around the table. “You can’t mean you’re not going to try and talk them outta this? You’re gonna let them just keep right on fightin’?”

Scarlett regarded the man with sad, tired blue eyes. “If I could go back in time and change this nightmare I would Lance, but I can’t. We have an entire generation that knows what hell is and _nothing_ else. They know death, war, survival, and Cobra, probably in that order. In time some of them might be able to remember what it was like before, but I’m not going to be the one to tell them they need to suddenly give up the only thing they know.”

“Survive, rebuild, then heal.” Sarah added. “Not all the scars can be seen and not all our casualties are dead.”

Clutch slowly lowered himself back to his seat. “Yeah I know, live now, grieve later.”

* * * * *

“I figured I’d find ya here.” Clutch groaned as he settled on the rock beside her. “I’m getting to damn old to be climbing up here.”

“So why do ya keep doin’ it?”

“Cause you’re too damn stubborn to pick a spot that’s easier to get to.”

Cammy smiled and tossed a rock down into the gorge her feet dangled into. “Yeah well, I’ve been told it’s one of my best qualities. Along with my witty sense of humor.”

Clutch chuckled lightly and regarded the woman sitting next to him. He had watch her grow from a stubborn, willful teenager into a stubborn, willful woman over the years and part of him loved her like a sister, while another wished there could have been more, but in the end Beth had been the one who had wrapped herself around his heart while Cammy had kept him at arms length. “I heard that you volunteered.”

“Straight to the point?” She sighed and tossed another rock. “It was my choice.”

“You really want to keep fighting?”

“Someone has to.” She pulled a leg up resting her chin on her knee. “It’s not all just gonna go away cause we won. What’s t’ stop the next person in line from deciding they want to take over where Destro stopped?”

“There are others that can stand the guard.” He reached a hand out placing it on her shoulder. “Haven’t you done enough fighting?”

“What else can I do?”

“How about living?”

She shrugged his hand off. “It ain’t that easy…”

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Is anything in this world easy?”

She shook her head. “Ya can’t understand. You’ve been here what nine…ten years now?”

“Nine and a half and that’s not the point…”

“Yeah it is.” She turned facing him. “By the time ya dropped into our world I had already missed everything most kids take for granted. I _never_ got to go to a prom, _never_ had a first date, hell I _never_ even went to high school.”

“Cammy,”

“No, let me say this.” She grabbed another rock tossing it out into the abyss below.. “I was thirteen years old and I had a gun put in my hand and was told I had t’ kill or be killed. Eleven years I have hid, scavenged, killed, and watched my friends and family die.” She reached over and held up her rifle. “I _don’t_ know anything else but this.”

“Then maybe it’s time you learned.” Clutch reached out and took the rifle from her. “This is not the be-all-end-all of life.”

Cammy pulled herself to her feet and grabbed her rifle back. “You’re wrong, this is my life. It’s what I know and what I understand.” She looked out toward the horizon. “I can’t get back what I lost all I can do is live with what I know.” She turned and started down the narrow trail.

“That’s not living…” Clutch called after her.

She paused and turned back to him “I know, but it’s all I got.”

* * * * *

The wind cut across the valley floor, sending dust flying up through the canyon and the sound of thunder in the distance preluded to the coming storm. While once it would have brought a sense of danger- was it thunder or artillery- this day it brought a sense of cleansing, as if washing the blood from the ground for a finial time would allow people to truly begin to rebuild their lives. The first drops of rain softly padded onto the dry ground until others followed and fed the starving soil what it had hungered for so long.

And in the shadow of the mountain where many had fought and even more had given their lives, amongst the rocks at the remains of a cave in at the entrance to a cavern, a single blade of green came forth in the midst of unmarked graves. Greedily sucking up the falling rain.

It was life… it was hope… it was simply…

A new beginning.


End file.
